Revenues surged 53 per cent to £22.7 million for Hull contact centre specialist ResQ in 2020 - ahead of major wins with Vodafone and the government that are set to propel it even further.
The company opened its second Hull site recently, with a third in Durham, as 2021 is set to see the business surpass the £50 million turnover mark.
The uplift from 2019’s £14.8 million came with increased gross profits too, up from £4.1 million to £7.6 million. Employee numbers rocketed from 576 to 849. Nine months on and it is now closing in on 2,000.
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And it came despite the huge interruption of the Covid in the calendar-aligned financial year.
Nic Marshall, director, explained how the 15-year-old firm innovated to meet the working from home challenge for out-sourced call centres as the pandemic hit
He said: “2020 started out with great promise on the back of strong financial performance in January and February. March was on course to deliver record levels of revenue and net profit.
“The shockwave felt from the outbreak of Covid-19 halted the business’s progress in its tracks. Large numbers of employees began self-isolating throughout March and April, putting significant pressure on the business. This was further amplified as a solution for home-working had to be built. Procuring the necessary hardware at scale was difficult and costly.
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“The business demonstrated great resolve and developed its own technologies which allowed for remote working. This technology was created, tested and rolled out within weeks. The technology-enabled the business profitable operating rhythm in May 2020.”
Mr Marshall said the decisive actions taken at the outset to adjust operations “demonstrated the company’s ability to quickly flex, respond and adapt our operations with minimal disruption”.
He told how new customer wins - twinned with the technology - allowed for significant growth in employee numbers without the traditional overheads.
These did materialise this year, however, as it took substantial space within the Hammonds of Hull building in addition to the Criterion House headquarters on George Street.
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“Delighted” with the outlook for the coming year, Mr Marshall added: “Having navigated the challenges of 2020, the business has demonstrated great resolve and grown significantly during the year.
“2020 has seen the company enjoy significant growth and secure new client wins. Based on the current run rates and business forecasts, the directors fully expect this upward trajectory to continue into 2021 as the full year effects flow through.”
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