Young entrepreneur James celebrating new role at one of fastest growing businesses in Midlands

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 13 February 2023

UPDATED: 14 February 2023

A young entrepreneur who is aiming to make an impact in the engineering sector – in a city synonymous with the industry - has been appointed managing director of one of the fastest-growing engineering recruitment companies in the Midlands.

James Hall became a recruitment consultant aged just 17 and, following three successive promotions and impressing bosses, he was given the chance to mentor others aged just 23.

Now 32, and dad-of-two, James is celebrating his promotion to MD of EMBS Engineering – a Talent and Recruitment Services business co-founded by Simon Bucknell and Ian Stevens that provides permanent and contract engineering resources for the Midlands’s fastest-growing advanced manufacturing companies.

Based in Vernon Gate, Derby, James – who joined EMBS as a Senior Consultant leading the engineering desk eight years ago - has grand plans to grow the business over the next five years to meet the demand for skilled engineers.

James does, though, want to maintain its personable approach by matching the right candidates to the right opportunities within the aerospace, automotive & motorsport, power, nuclear and defence industries, and in turn meeting/exceeding their employers demands.

He said:

“The post-Brexit, post-Covid employment market is creating major challenges for employers, and we believe that we have the expertise and solutions to make a huge difference.

“We know now, more than ever, that employers are looking for more than just an agency supplier; we’ve worked hard on our value proposition, which means we transform the way our clients hire engineers, supporting them in innovative ways before, during and after the hiring process.

“This is an exciting time for me, and for EMBS Engineering. I have always wanted to run my own business. I’m an extremely driven person but understand the importance of having the right team around me; a team who are both talented and diverse.

“I honestly believe that success comes from empowering people and listening to their ideas. EMBS sees recruitment and talent differently. We have always been ahead of the curve, understanding the needs of job seekers and employers.

“A lack of European workers, brought about by Brexit and covid restrictions, fuelled the perfect storm for us; sudden high demand and acute labour shortages. As employers struggled to hire workers through direct or more traditional methods, they needed our help more than ever, resulting in a significant increase for us in turnover, profit and headcount.”

As well as growing EMBS Engineering in traditional sectors, James is excited by new opportunities.

He said:

“Derby is well-known for being at the heart of engineering in the UK and it’s an exciting time to be involved in the industry.

“But if we’re going to meet the demand for skills, we need to encourage women into engineering, increase apprenticeship adoption and ensure that we keep the over-50s in the workforce for as long as possible.

“There is no doubt that green energy will create thousands of new engineering jobs in the next 10 years. We want to be at the forefront of the green revolution and we’re excited to see how Derby’s big employers – the likes of Toyota, Rolls-Royce and Alstom – maximise this opportunity.”

Part of the EMBS Group – who celebrate their 20th anniversary later this year – EMBS Engineering has more than doubled their turnover and headcount in the last 24 months. Plans are to continue their inward investment in people, technology and equipment in order to deliver the best service possible and meet the demands of their clients.

The growth and, in particular the expansion of the engineering side, has impressed co-founder and group director Simon Bucknell. He said:

“James is clearly very talented. He leads by example and, in 2021, he delivered almost a year’s worth of recruitment sales revenue in one quarter.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the business grows with James at the helm.”

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