A family-run property services firm is targeting national growth 鈥 by giving staff more control over the business.
McLaughlins Chartered Surveyors was established as a family-run firm in Stoke-on-Trent more than 40 years ago.
Over the last four decades, the company 鈥 which offers a wide range of residential and commercial property services 鈥 has built up a strong reputation in the city.
But in the last six months McLaughlins has undertaken a huge recruitment drive as part of its plans to 鈥榞o national.鈥
Since November 鈥 when Joe Miller joined as managing director 鈥 the company has gone from a five-strong team of staff to around 34 employees.
The firm has also relocated to new premises at BusinessLodge Stoke, in Fenton, three times, after outgrowing its previous two offices.
Now McLaughlins is on a huge drive to recruit even more staff.
Joe said: 鈥淢cLaughlins Chartered Surveyors has been in Stoke-on-Trent for more than 40 years. It鈥檚 been hard work at times, but the family have created a legacy locally 鈥 and now we want to replicate that across the country.
鈥淲e want to completely reinvent the way our industry traditionally operates,鈥 added Joe. 鈥淲hat we are doing here at McLaughlins is completely new to chartered surveying, it鈥檚 never been done before.
鈥淲e want to give our surveyors the opportunity to control their own destiny. We are giving them the responsibility for their own territories and encouraging them to play a part in the growth of the business.鈥
Similar to the way a franchise operates, McLaughlins employs chartered surveyors who operate in their own territories 鈥 in areas including in Crewe, Manchester, Birmingham, Middlesborough and Derby.
The surveyors will still be employed and will have the financial backing from the business, but they will have the freedom to develop their own relationships with local businesses and individuals and, if successful, will be rewarded with a bigger share of the profits.
Joe said: 鈥淎ll of our surveyors share our company ethics, so we want to replicate what we have created in Stoke-on-Trent across the country.
鈥淲e are looking for people who want to build a career in property and will continue to recruit in all areas. Our aim is to have coverage across 50 territories by this time next year.鈥
He added: 鈥淲e believe that there is a real need for something like this in our industry.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to do the same thing everybody else is doing, we want to provide our clients with everything they need 鈥 no matter where they are in the country.
鈥淭he residential property market is really buoyant at the moment, partly because of the Stamp Duty holiday which comes to an end in June, so it is a really good time for us to do this.
鈥淲e have got some really ambitious plans for this year and we will be exploring a number of other interesting opportunities in the coming months.鈥
