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Recruitment and training specialist Acorn is expecting to report a £65 million turnover this year after it bought northwest-based staffing company Advance Personnel.

Acorn targeted the company as part of its strategy of creating a £100 million turnover business by the end of next year.

Advance Personnel, which was bought for an undisclosed sum, will continue to trade as a separate entity under its existing brand following the deal.

Last year Acorn reported £41.5 million turnover, up15.4% on the previous year. The company has recently opened branches in Gloucestershire, Devon, Flint and Preston. This deal has increased its direct workforce to some 260.

Acorn’s founder and managing director, Matt Southall, said: “Advance Personnel is a superb fit for the Acorn group, both geographically and in the sectors it services. The team at Advance has developed an excellent reputation for the quality of its service delivery and they will play a significant role in Acorn’s continuing development plan.”

Advance Personnel’s founding managing director, Jason Canny, added: “The UK continues to experience a highly-publicised skills shortage in many sectors. Advance’s labour pool stretches across Europe eradicating any skills shortage when recruiting professionals for any sector.

“Becoming part of the Acorn group will help provide us with an increase in resource and coupled with their considerable experience, will allow us to grow our activity considerably in the years ahead,” he said.

Acorn was advised throughout the transaction by Frenger International, with managing director Jean-Noel Mermet heading its team.

Jean-Noel Mermet said the firm advised Synergie on its acquisition of Acorn two years ago. “The acquisition of Advance Personnel gives Acorn a platform to source Polish workers for Synergie across Europe.”

Acorn received financial service from accountancy practice PKF, with legal advice provided by McTaggart.

Newport-based Acorn is the UK subsidiary of French company Synergie, a recruitment group with operations in Europe and North America producing an annual turnover of more than euro1 billion (£683 million).

Advance Personnel provides temporary and permanent staff through managed on-site teams and high street branches. It provides staff to the industrial, contract packing, food and drink, driving and construction sectors.

Advance Personnel generated an £18 million turnover last year from its offices in Crewe, Cheshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Poland.

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