Pace plc co-founder, Rob Fleming, and former Relay Recruitment business manager, Kate Hill, have formed Cubed Resourcing, a specialist recruiter for the electronics, FMCG manufacturing and related supply chain markets.
Headquartered in Wetherby, North Yorkshire and with a national reach, Cubed claims to differentiate by head hunting middle management and emerging talent in these sectors, rather than executive grades and ‘high fliers’.
It concentrates on hand picked ‘breakthrough’ players, which are scarce commodities in the fields it serves.
Kate Hill said: "With rising consumer demand, competition is intensifying in electronic and manufacturing markets for the key people and skills necessary to capitalise on the upturn. The clamour is for a finite resource and being able to attract and retain it is critical for employers to meet the capacity and capability challenge.
“We recruit for potential; identifying and securing high calibre staff for clients just as they hit the ‘sweet spot’ of their careers and are entering their most productive periods. Employers complete their development when they sign up.”
With its philosophy that talent acquisition must be an 'always on' discipline in mind, Cubed is working to change the prevailing mindset of companies who only recruit the right people reactively - when there's a vacancy – by promoting a proactive, continuous programme, instead. Hill added: “Game changing personnel and tomorrow’s high fliers have preferred employer lists and firms must establish themselves as destinations of choice before competitors do.”
Cubed is the first fruit of Rob Fleming's ambitious new portfolio of start ups that work to his 'expertise for equity' concept. The business model, which sees entrepreneurs gradually acquire the companies they jointly establish with him, aims to encourage and mentor a new generation of owner managers.
Like Kate Hill, all have spotted a gap in the market and secured financial backing and guidance from an industrialist with a wealth of business growth skills and experience.
With a passion for supporting and investing in future skills, Fleming was a co- founder of Pace plc and helped take it from a back bedroom operation to a multinational with global revenues of £1.2bn that employed thousands in locations including England and Wales, US, Mexico, Thailand, Brazil, India and China.
He is no silent partner; still active in tech start ups, his involvement with Cubed goes far beyond financial enabling and mentoring. Fleming brings almost 30 years' experience in electronics and manufacturing to the enterprise, with particular emphasis on staff management (at Pace, he was directly responsible for 800 manufacturing and operations personnel).
Having worked with demanding multinationals like Cable and Wireless, Sky, Sony and Panasonic and regional development agencies, he has also sat on government white paper committees and been a director of an urban regeneration company. Fleming’s address book is matchless and he can usefully call upon a strong network of high level influential contacts to help clients explore new markets, innovate, raise profile and secure investment.
Rob Fleming said: “Shaped by industry for industry, the Cubed approach is one of joint enterprise and consultancy. We have strategic, nuanced relationships with employers that see us working with them on long term programmes.
“As such, we're definitely not going to be on the periphery of things, only to be called upon to fill short term gaps. We're about adding value to a client’s five year business plan, as well as its day-to-day needs.”
From a standing start, Cubed has made impressive inroads into consumer electronic, manufacturing and design markets and is already working with several globally recognised leaders in their field. It has recently taken instructions for a number of significant design and production roles.
