The former general manager of a Staffordshire logistics business has been appointed a company director.
Steve Rushton has become a director of Tamworth-based Crown Couriers Ltd to support the firm’s rapid growth.
Steve’s appointment comes after the company expanded into London with the opening of a new base at Heathrow Airport in November.
Crown Couriers founder Tim Seagers said: "We're delighted to announce Steve’s appointment as company director.
"Despite the challenges triggered by the pandemic, the company has continued to grow and has ambitious plans to expand further.
"Steve brings with him a wealth of experience in the logistics industry and will be an invaluable contributor to the success of the company’s strategy going forward."
Meanwhile, handrail and balustrade specialists SMART Balustrades has expanded its team as it works towards its ambitious 35 per cent year-on-year growth target for 2021.
The company – which enjoyed a record year in 2020 – has appointed Sukhi Bassi as a CAD technician and Paul Heston as production operative.
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Sukhi said: "Joining SMART Balustrades at such a pivotal time for the business is very exciting for me. The company is impressive and I like that it has big ambitions for the future.
"I'm looking forward to working with the team to streamline our business processes and maintain the high level of customer satisfaction that SMART Balustrades is known for."
Paul said: "Being part of such a high-quality manufacturing team is amazing. I can’t wait to take on this new challenge."
SMART Balustrades manufactures and installs a range of products for sectors such as education, retail, leisure, and housing.
It is part of the Unitech Group and is based at Unitech Group's 75,000 sq ft production facility in Burntwood, Staffordshire.
David Hough, managing director of SMART Balustrades, said: "We're delighted to welcome Sukhi and Paul to SMART Balustrades as our team continues to grow.
"With Sukhi in the design team and Paul in the manufacturing team, we can better serve our growing volume of customers and work towards our growth targets."
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The founder of a Staffordshire software company has taken on the role of CEO at a Milton Keynes-based e-commerce business.
Elizabeth Gooch MBE took up the role at Expandly after leading a management buy-in at the software firm, which allows retailers to sell on over 30 different marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Etsy using a single platform to manage all their product listings, stock, invoicing and distribution.
Ms Gooch was the founder of Stafford-based EG Solutions plc, a back office workforce management software company, which she sold to US company Verint for £26m in 2017.
Since then she has been active as an angel investor and advisor to a number of tech start-ups.
She began working with Expandly last summer before agreeing to take on a full-time role.
She will be joined at Expandly by her long-term business partner Rodney Baker-Bates as chair.
Elizabeth said: "The pandemic has accelerated the switch to online sales, but to maximise this opportunity retailers need to sell through many different channels.
"Expandly makes it easy to run all these different ‘stores’ as well as handle the complexities of stock, order management, accounting and VAT rules.
"We believe the strategy we have developed will help Expandly achieve its growth potential."
Elsewhere, IT provider 848 Group has appointed Justine Slade at its new head of project management office.
Justine has joined the Stafford business with more than 10 years' experience in the IT industry. She has worked with clients across many sectors including telecoms, retail, financial services, legal, engineering, manufacturing and automotive.
In her new role, Justine will be focusing on project portfolio management at a strategic level.
She said: "I am excited about joining 848 group during a period of massive growth and I can't wait to be part of the momentum. Process is key to both myself and 848 so I'm thrilled to be a part of an agile and forward-thinking company.
"I'm eagerly anticipating the challenge of growing professionally with 848 and supporting a team that drives growth and facilitates success with business changing IT."
Group technical director David Burn said: "Justine is already proving to be an asset to the team and is drawing on her wealth of experience. She has delivered multi-million pound global programmes as well as key strategic projects.
"The knowledge and skills she developed over the past decade are perfect for the increasing demands of the business and we're looking forward to driving the growth of the business together."
Finance specialists IronMarket Group has welcomed Daniel Fahey to the business as an investment analyst.
In his new role at the Newcastle business, Daniel will play a fundamental part in supporting the investment committee with relevant research, analysis and portfolio monitoring.
He said: "IronMarket have a dynamic, ambitious team of people, who are driven in their approach to consistently deliver positive outcomes for clients.
"The company's commitment to supporting staff in their careers is fantastic and there is no ceiling to our individual prospects – the sky is the limit."
Managing partner Wes Wilkes added: "It's great to have Dan on board as investment analyst and latest member of the investment management team.
"Dan will play a huge role in the monitoring, development and growth of our investment offering, working closely with myself and the rest of the team.
"We have a wonderful proposition with ambitious plans and we are keen to attract the right people in all parts of the business to help us on that journey."
Dan is the first of many new recruits at the company as IronMarket Group looks to grow and expand throughout 2021.