50 new jobs announced at Sunderland firm – and lots more could be on the way

And there could be even better news for Maxim Facilities Management which has a long-term goal of adding almost 700 more people to its books.

Maxim, which specialises in contract cleaning work, has won a series of new deals and turnover has gone up by 20 per cent in the last year alone.

The North East BIC-based company won the Large Business of the Year category at last year’s Sunderland Echo business awards.

Bosses are urging other firms to enter the new-look Sunderland Echo Business Excellence Awards 2022 after Maxim found it got a boost from its success in the 2021 event.

Since then, it won contracts including with energy company Sembcorp in Teesside, County Durham-based Kromek plc, the Swindon Schools Group in Wiltshire and Durham Cricket.

Two major new deals in the education and public sectors are about to be announced which will instantly increase annual turnover by a further 20 per cent.

Maxim Facilities Management provides commercial contract cleaning and facilities management services to public and private sector clients. It has branch offices in Leeds, Swindon and Glasgow.

It already employs more than 1,100 people and is expecting to create another 50 jobs through its two new contracts, as well as bringing 120 existing staff onto its workforce when they begin.

Bosses say the long-term strategic goal is to become a £20million turnover company with around 2,000 employees.

Graham Conway, founder and managing director at Maxim FM, said: “We are well established as the North East’s largest independent cleaning and facilities

management firm, and with cleaning and hygiene having never been higher up the business agenda, we’re seeing multiple new business opportunities arising that support our continuing growth journey.”

Success at last year’s awards ‘helped to raise awareness of the quality and range of services we provide’, said Mr Conway.

“It has definitely had an impact on the number of potential clients approaching us to find out more about how we can help them, with several new contract wins resulting, and we would definitely encourage other local companies to look to follow our example.

“The two new contracts on which we are about to start work are real game changers for our operations and will enable us to create even more new

jobs, both within and outside the North East."

Maxim recently took on its first ever apprentices, with two young people joining its head office staff, and it is continuing to add to its contract management, sales and administration teams to keep up with client demand.

Mr Conway added: “Recruiting our first apprentices is allowing us to ‘grow our own,’ while we’re continuing to add highly-skilled staff to our head office team to ensure we can service the new contracts that we are winning and deliver on the industry-leading standards that we promise our clients.”

The Sunderland Echo Business Excellence Awards has fantastic backers, including Sunderland City Council, who are our partners in the competition and are the headline sponsors.

Also on board are the North East BIC, Chilli Mangoes, Marelli, Wilf Husband, Harrison and Brown, and Sunderland College. We thank them all for their outstanding support.

The search has begun for this year’s contenders and we have already had an encouraging start.

To enter, take a look at the categories, choose the most appropriate for your business, and nominate using the link below.

You can nominate your own firm or a company which you think deserves an accolade.

For further information and to enter, visit the awards website at www.sunderlandbusinessawards.co.uk

Closing date for entries is Friday, September 23. Judging will take place shortly after the closing date and the shortlist will be announced in early October.

The categories:

SME Business of the Year - (Sponsored by the North East BIC).

Large Business of the Year - (Sponsored by Chilli Mangoes).

Best Independent Business.

Social Enterprise of the Year - (Sponsored by the North East BIC).

Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Business of the Year.

Apprentice/Trainee of the Year.

Sustainable Initiative of the Year - (Sponsored by Marelli)

Business in the Community Award.

Employer of the Year.

Entrepreneur of the Year.

Lifetime Achievement Award.

Business of the Year (Sponsored by Sunderland City Council).