Are you experienced in the plumbing and heating industry and fancy running your own branch with one of the most progressive firms in the sector?
It may sound like an offer usually found in the small print of a classified jobs section, but this is a genuine opportunity.
James Hargreaves Plumbing Depot has already invested £3.5m across the opening of 15 new branches in the past three years, and sales director, Bill Davies, says that the expansion will continue - wherever the right calibre of manager is found.
"The company policy has always concentrated as much on people as geography - if we find the right person then we are happy to open a branch around them," said Mr Davies.
"It might sound an unusual approach, or even a gamble, but it has worked for us time and time again.
James Hargreaves Plumbing Depot reported an annual turnover increase of 33% for 2013 and recently opened branches in Harrogate, Hunslet and Matlock - taking the total to 39.
“The net is widening all the time for us," added Mr Davies. "Initially, most of our branches stood within a few miles of the company’s headquarters in Burnley, but that is not the case now. We have branches from Stoke to Lancaster and Blackpool to Hull.
"The vast majority are managed by locals; people who not only know all about the plumbing and heating business, but have a direct link to the respective town or city. That local knowledge is massively important.”
Mr Davies added: "That’s precisely why we say that finding the right person is step one. The location follows and then we back it all up with our in-house support.
"The system works well, emphasised by our on-going expansion programme and balance sheet, and there really is no upper limit on the number of branches we would like in our portfolio."
