A Keighley recruitment agency is poised for expansion now that the daughter of the founder has taken over the running of the business.

Jo Pagdin, 29, has taken over as managing director of Rotherwood Recruitment, the employment division of Highland Park Ltd.

Jo, from Haworth, is daughter of Rotherwood founder and chairman Dennis Pagdin and will take on additional responsibility for the day-to-day running of the recruitment agency which now has an annual turnover in excess of £2 million.

Established in 1976, Rotherwood has grown to become a specialist provider of both temporary and full-time staff to industry and business across a region encompassing the Aire Valley, Craven and beyond.

Clients include the Skipton Building Society, Homeloan Management of Skipton, Landis Lund, Eastburn, Peter Black and Magnet in Keighley and the Bradford & Bingley Building Society.

She joined Rotherwood as commercial consultant in July 1998, after serving as senior assistant purser aboard the Oriana cruise liner, where she handled all secretarial, accounts and personnel matters.

Since then, the agency's commercial placement business has increased by over 50 per cent with over 200 temporary staff on placement at any given time, many of whom go on to gain permanent employment.

The company has expanded and diversified significantly over the years, including the launch five years ago of a specialist driver hire division - now one of the largest such operations in Yorkshire.

Rotherwood, which employs an eight-strong workforce, remains the only local recruitment agency to hold membership of REC - the Recruitment and Employment Federation, the industry's governing body.

Jo said: "Demand from our clients for experienced personnel in many fields and at all skills levels gives a clear indication that the jobs market continues to be buoyant, which reflects positively on the local economy."

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