Brighton Start-up Attracts Venture Capitalist Investment

An exciting new Brighton-based recruitment consultancy, Classic Consulting, has attracted start-up capital from a number of investors including the specialist recruitment private equity company, Krypton Capital.

Classic Consulting, which has been founded by recruitment industry specialist Denise Buchan, is based in Tower Point 44 in North Road, Brighton and opened for business on January 3rd 2012. 

Commenting on the rationale for the launch of the new company, Denise Buchan said: “We’ve created this innovative new recruitment business to bring fresh thinking and behaviour to an industry that is often seen as tired, tainted and, frankly, often pretty mediocre and in need of some refreshment.  The investment consortium’s significant funding in our launch has enabled us to invest in new standards and the necessary tools and skills to ensure long term relationship building rather than the short term thinking that is prevalent in many recruitment businesses today.

“Our mantra is one of ‘integrity first’ (Classic Consulting is a member of the Institute of Business Ethics) and at the heart of our company is an absolute commitment to ethical standards and integrity; with clients, candidates and colleagues,” continued Denise. “Furthermore, we have committed ourselves to sharing a set percentage of our profits with our dedicated charitable partners. These include Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice in Sussex and The Young Lives Foundation.

“Several people have expressed surprise that we are launching a recruitment business in the middle of the continuing downturn in the economy,” explained Denise. “However, we feel that it’s absolutely the best time to come to the market with something that has everything to prove and will be focused exclusively on doing the best possible job for our ‘customers.’  Client and candidate support is everything in a tough market and it will be our commitment to those traditional values that will be the foundation stone of our business and our genuine differentiator.

“Furthermore, we felt that Brighton, with its resilient, high service and private sector economy, and numerous other advantages, will be the ideal launch pad for our new company. In fact, last year Brighton was highlighted as one of the cities that is ‘well placed to drive the UK’s economic recovery’ in The Centre for Cities annual index, Cities Outlook 2011.  Although Brighton will be our first office, we fully anticipate opening further offices within the year.”   

Classic Consulting will focus on placing office support staff from secretarial and admin through to HR and marketing specialists in local businesses across the region and has launched with an established team of four high performing senior recruitment consultants.  All of them have extensive regional knowledge and expertise have joined Classic Consulting from rival local businesses.

“We were absolutely committed to employing only the very best, client and candidate focussed consultants from day one - our founding team has more than half a century of collective experience.  Furthermore, all of the team will be involved in the success of the company through their participation in our share option scheme,” Denise said.

Turning down multiple offers to join competing high profile recruiters in order to start her own business in Brighton, Denise has spent many years in the recruitment industry; latterly as the Operations Director at international recruitment consultancy, Huntress Recruitment. At Huntress, Denise played a key role in the senior management team responsible for building the company into a £ multi-million organisation prior to its sale. Prior to Huntress, Denise was Reed Employment’s most successful manager for six consecutive years.

Krypton Capital’s founder, Gary Laurence added: “A recession always creates some great entrepreneurial ideas and individuals and I’m delighted to be working with Denise and her team at Classic Consulting. I know Denise well from our time at Huntress so have every confidence in her ability to create something new, exciting and hugely successful.”

For further information please contact: Denise Buchan at Classic Consulting on 01273 607129 or on 07753 281538 or Fraser Butters at Pervasive PR on 07766 566396

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