LSA RUNS FULL STEAM AHEAD WITH STRATEGY

AFTER spending years developing systems and technology to spearhead growth, LSA Recruitment Group managing director Andrew Northcott (pictured) says the company is having its best year ever.

A finalist in the 2010 awards, Northcott has propelled turnover from $12 million to $22.7 million in the past 12 months.

Triple digit growth of 325 per cent was achieved in FY10 and the company shows no signs of slowing down with 142 per cent growth forecast in FY11/12.

“LSA has two distinct brands that operate independently – LSA Recruitment, which is an owner-operator model whereby our recruitment specialists own their own LSA Recruitment business, and Labour Solutions, which is blue collar jobs workforce management,” says Northcott.

“Both sides of the business are running full steam ahead as we’ve developed a strategic direction for each of them.”

Managing the rapid growth will be a challenge in FY12 as the company aims to secure a bigger chunk of the recruitment market and build the number of franchises to 114 by 2015.

“Our challenge is to ensure we maintain the high level of service that our clients have come to expect while we’re rapidly growing. We’ve always had a high level of growth so we have experience in it, but there are new challenges at each stage,” he says.

Northcott started the company with $800 in savings and a laptop. He was 21 and did odd jobs including landscaping to save enough start-up capital to get going.

“I was studying applied science at the time and saw an opportunity in the market. I already had a network of candidates and potential clients so I just put two and two together,” he says.

“I never thought it would develop into what it is today, but it’s been an exciting journey.

“In the early days, it was all about knowing what you didn’t know and having a bit of that uninformed optimism that comes with starting a new business.

“I had no experience in the industry and was educating myself on best practice and it took time.

“But we got some great people on board that are still with us today that assisted in managing that challenge.”

Northcott acknowledges that his future plans for the business are ‘aggressive, but achievable’.

“We have a presence in all states of Australia that we’re growing and by the end of 2012 we’d like to have a stronger presence in the regional areas and major cities,” he says.

“By 2015, we’d like to have 114 franchises or business partners on board – it’s an ambitious plan, but I’m sure we’ll achieve it.”

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YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR FINALIST
Andrew Northcott
LSA Recruitment Group
HUMAN RESOURCES
Age: 27
Business Est: 2004
Staff: 35 full-time, 800 casual
Growth: 83 per cent
Turnover: $22.7 million