At a time when many UK manufacturers are shying away from investment, the Evesham-based firm Foster+Freeman is bucking that trend by embarking on a recruitment drive that will enable the company to deliver a new generation of high-tech forensic science products to a global market.
Ranked third top SME in the Midlands last year, Foster+Freeman has sought out the very best candidates for a variety of roles, including a total of 10 new staff members in the company’s busy Research and Development department.
Speaking about the investment, company CEO, Bob Dartnell highlighted the importance of bringing in new talent and the value that adds to the company’s overall strategy.
Bob Dartnell, CEO, said: “As an innovation-led company, it is important that Foster+Freeman continue to be the first to market with new products. By recruiting high-quality graduates we’re able to continually add to our in-house skills base and retain the innovative edge that has seen us become industry leaders.”
By recruiting new mechanical and electrical engineers, highly-qualified chemists, and a new team of software developers the company has been able to fast-track the development of multiple new product concepts that can be expected to go to market in the new year.
Key to getting the best out of the recruits has been the policy of giving staff the freedom and creativity to bring their own ideas and interpretation to product development.
Daniel, who graduated with a 1st in Mechatronics from Reading University, said: “As a newly recruited R&D Software Engineer, I find the whole development process fascinating. It’s great to see changes you implement in real-time develop into real results.”
Leon McGowan-Crockett, who graduated with a 1st in Computer Science from the University of Nottingham, said: “As a recent graduate from Nottingham University, I started a job at Foster & Freeman as a Software Developer. Along with the amazing office atmosphere, I thoroughly enjoy developing the software for Document Analysis products.”
Having celebrated its 40th year in 2018, Foster+Freeman can be seen as one of the region’s major business success stories. Last year’s biggest international exporter in its category (Midlands based SMEs), the company recently opened a new EU sales office in Dusseldorf, Germany, and expects 2019 to be the latest in a run of record-breaking years.