A NORTH-EAST emergency repair business is taking on 100 workers this month after demand during the big freeze prompted it to bring forward its expansion plans.

Call-out and repair company Homefix 24/7, which employs 60 people at its Middlesbrough head office, and 160 at its main UK depot in Stockton, intends to have a workforce of 320 call centre staff and tradesmen across the region by the end of the month.

The recent cold snap has been a successful time for the business as it saw a 60 per cent rise in calls.

Homefix 24/7 was the brainchild of Alisdair Beveridge, who set up the firm after he identified a gap in the market for a service which could deal with the full range of home call-out jobs including plumbing, electrical work and pest infestations.

The growing number of people who do not have what are known as Dad skills, which would enable them to undertake basic household repairs, has been a key factor in the businesses recent success.

The company’s expansion plans for the rest of this year involve establishing depots in other parts of the country, following the model established in the North-East, with both directly-employed and affiliate tradesmen.

Managing director Gordon McWhinney said: “With 15,000 homes already signed up to service contracts, we are looking for tradesmen across the country. There are many people with skills such as plumbing and electrical repairs who are out of work, so we know that there is a workforce ready to be employed and become part of the Homefix 24/7 team.”

Geoff Longstaff, a consultant for Homefix 24/7, added: “The concern many home owners have is that they do not know who to call in certain situations and whether they are getting a reputable tradesman and how much it will cost. This is made worse by the growing numbers of people who lack what are often referred to as Dad skills, and are unable to do repairs that generations before them would have done themselves.”