A NORTH-EAST recycling company has been praised by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen for continuing to offer opportunities for workers across the region.

J&B Recycling has recently employed a further ten staff thanks to a number of contract wins and its further expansion into the north of the region.

The company has recently reported 40 per cent growth, on top of the audited previous year’s 100 per cent growth, in challenging and ever-changing markets for their products.

2018 also saw J&B Recycling win the Business of the Year Award at the Tees Businesswomen Awards.

Mr Houchen praised managing director Vikki Jackson-Smith and her team, adding: “J&B Recycling is an amazing Tees Valley company and it’s been great to see its exceptional growth over the last couple of years, providing new opportunities to employees and apprentices from across the region.

“The fact that they continue to grow, go through upgrades and acquisitions and have a staff retention rate ten per cent higher than the national average shows what a great employer Vikki and the team are at J&B.”

According to Office for National Statistics, the UK average employee turnover rate is approximately 30 per cent a year in manufacturing and 28 per cent in transport and storage. J&B Recycling’s turnover rate came out at just 20 per cent.

Anne White, human resources manager at J&B Recycling said: “There are many benefits to becoming an employee at J&B Recycling, as we are a local firm with 90 per cent of employees from the Tees Valley area, 71 per cent being from Hartlepool.

“We have 177 employees and 40 agency staff and take pride on having a strong and skilled workforce and encouraging talent and progression throughout the business.

“We do appreciate that some of the roles are not for everyone. It can be hard work and it can be dirty at times. However, we are doing our best with paid breaks and automated processes which help with the final human eye sorting process.

“In the last year, we have created new roles including business development manager, customer services manager, electrical engineer and process support administrator. The new site opening in Washington is also creating roles such as site supervisor and plant driver, which is very exciting.

“We have recently worked with the Job Centre Plus and Amacus Training on a back to work recruitment programme with the aim to recruit four recycling operatives.

“Seventeen delegates went through a two-week training course which included employability skills, health and safety, and environmental awareness with an interview and work experience. The four successful candidates began work on Monday, November 25.”

Many employees at J&B Recycling, such as management-level staff and rising stars, started out in the business through apprenticeships. The waste disposal firm work with local schools to attend careers fairs to promote the work it does in the region and to encourage recycling.

J&B Recycling is continually looking for new recruits on Indeed, Job Centre and social media.

Anyone interested in any opportunities available at J&B Recycling, shoulde visit jbrecycling.co.uk/jb/jobs