One of Huddersfield’s largest private sector employers has launched a major recruitment drive as it prepares for a move to bigger premises.

FMG, which employs more than 400 people, is creating 45 new jobs this year in areas including claims management and customer account management. It comes as the company gets set to move its headquarters to Broad Lea House at Bradley Business Park.

And it will even provide a shuttle bus service to get staff to the site off Bradley Road from Huddersfield town centre.

The firm provides vehicle incident management services on behalf of fleet insurers, insurance brokers, leasing providers and blue chip companies and operates as vehicle recovery partner for Highways England and a number of police forces.

The firm has outgrown its current head office, FMG House at St Andrew’s Road, Bradley Mills, despite using additional office space at Market Street in Huddersfield town centre where 60 of its employees are based.

Broad Lea House at Bradley Business Park in Huddersfield

FMG will share Broad Lea House with its current occupant, Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group, which will relocate into one wing of the building and have its own entrance.

FMG said moving to Broad Lea House would bring the whole organisation under one roof with ample space for further growth.

A refurbishment programme lasting eight to 10 weeks is set to start on June 11. It will include creating a new reception area, a serviced canteen and new training and meeting rooms.

The firm has also acquired land next to the building for staff car parking and if it needs to expand in the future.

Operations director John Keeton said FMG moved into the offices at Bradley Mills in 2002, adding: “It’s a lovely building, but we have outgrown it. We want to make our new HQ just as good.

John Keeton, operations director for FMG

“The current building is owned by FMG and in the short term will be retained as a ‘disaster recovery site’ if we have to relocate operations. The long-term plan is to market the building.”

Mr Keeton said the search for a new HQ building began in January. He said: “It would have been much easier in some ways for us to look further afield, but we are a Huddersfield company and we have made a commitment to stay in the town.”

Chief executive Mark Chessman said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for FMG. Our journey so far has been quite remarkable, from humble beginnings in a small office in Huddersfield town centre in 1986 to our current purpose-built head office which is now bursting at the seams.“

Mark Chessman, chief executive of FMG

Earlier this month, FMG was recognised as one of the best companies to work for in the Yorkshire and Humber region with a listing in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work. It has also won the Customer Service Award at the annual Fleet News Awards.

Mr Chessman said: “The future looks bright for FMG and our move to Broad Lea House ensures we are prepared for the next chapter in FMG’s history.”

Visit www.fmg.co.uk to see the latest vacancies.