Dunlop leads recruitment drive

The continuing restructuring of the surveying world has created a welcome flurry of recruitment in Manchester including at Dunlop Heywood, MCR Property Group and Lambert Smith Hampton.

Dunlop Heywood has made several appointments at the start of 2012 with more vacancies still to be filled. Louis MacFadyen, owner-director of Bridgestone Surveyors, has joined as a director in the ratings department. Darren Bamford joined from CBRE as senior surveyor in the building surveying team.

Stuart Hicks, managing director of Dunlop Heywood, said he hopes to add a further two surveyors, either in Manchester or Leeds. The company employs 25 staff split mainly between Leeds and Manchester, with a handful in London and Abu Dhabi. Hicks said the recruitment follows a number of client wins on the consultancy side, including Speedy Hire in July 2011, and Peel Group, among others.

Hicks said: "I really believe 2012 will be a year of opportunity, there will be turmoil but those that can move quickly and service properly could have a year of growth. The big boys are saddled with debt and also have lost the meat out of the middle of the sandwich as a result of cost cutting. Big contracts won in London cannot be adequately serviced by the less-experienced staff remaining in the regions after a lot of experienced surveyors have been made redundant."

Meanwhile, MCR Property Group has adverts running for investment, development and acquisition surveyors in Manchester.

Lambert Smith Hampton is looking to fill its regional gap in investment agency, advertising for a surveyor or senior surveyor in the Manchester office.

The hiring activity is in contrast to continuing corporate casualties, with BNP Paribas Real Estate the latest high-profile victim, deciding to close its Manchester and Cardiff offices.