Firm looking to recruit 2,500 staff over next three years
Mace is set to be a 10,000-strong business by 2026 with the firm hunting for another 2,500 people to fill roles over the next three years.
Chief executive Mark Reynolds said it expects to take on 1,000 people this year, with current staff numbers already up to 7,800 from 2022’s year-end figure of 7,300 and a 19% jump on the 6,652 it employed in 2021.
The firm’s consulting business employs 5,000 people with its contracting division a further 1,650 and its FM arm around 700 staff.
Its consulting division is growing at a round 20% a year with Mace’s recruitment section on its website being visited 15,000 times a month by would-be applicants.
Reynolds said he expected a large number of the new arrivals to be at its consulting business which posted a 36% increase in income to £500m last year.
He is expecting this to be north of £575m in 2023 but the bulk of its expected £2.45bn turnover this year will be from its contracting arm which posted a revenue last year of £1.4bn, down £100,000 on the previous year.
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Mace said commercial work was holding up while its aviation work at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted was returning to levels last seen before the pandemic.
Reynolds said labour costs were still a headache for firms but added: “Materials costs have stabilised so it’s not a big worry for me.”
Group pre-tax profit fell 5% to £36.5m on revenue flat at £1.9bn but operating profit before a £13m exceptional item was up 2% to £45.4m.
Mace said the £13m hit related to a revaluation on the worth of a mixed-use scheme in Oxford it owns with joint venture partner Doric Capital.
The firm said it has reduced its exposure to the UK property market in recent years, adding that its cash at the bank was £154m, down from £167m, but its overall cash position – after overdrafts – was up to £130m from £127m.
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