ILKLEY-based Composite Prime, the UK’s largest sustainable decking and cladding brand, has more than doubled its company headcount during the pandemic, with six new recruits from the local area, including two senior appointments.

A product development manager, Jim Gross, has been hired to ensure that the business’s products continue to satisfy consumer demands with a focus on sustainability, style and quality credentials. He will also lead several new product launches scheduled for 2022.

With more than a decade of experience in product development and product management in the automotive and construction sectors, Jim’s experience will ensure that Composite Prime’s new products are brought to market quickly, whilst maintaining high levels of product testing, certification and quality control.

Jim said: “I was keen to join an environmentally conscious organisation, whose ethos aligned with my own and provided me with the opportunity to develop new materials and new products to meet and exceed market demands.

“My experience in the construction sector has afforded me the opportunity to work on product development processes in businesses of a variety of sizes and in various stages of growth. One of my key responsibilities at Composite Prime will be to use this experience to establish new processes and improve existing ones.”

Composite Prime has also invested in its customer service and sales teams with the recruitment of an aftersales manager, who will drive new business opportunities and customer satisfaction in the midlands and south of England. Alice Collins joins Composite Prime with experience from roles in utility sales, lead generation and waste management.

Charles Taylor, director at Composite Prime, said: “As we grow quickly, it’s important to recruit the most talented and experienced team members in the industry, to support us on our journey to entering new global markets and help us to continue innovating new and high quality products that consumers will love and that will last them a lifetime.

“We’re delighted to welcome all of our new colleagues, who have joined us at an incredibly exciting time, and we plan to continue recruiting more team members to support our rapid growth next year.”

A deck technician, Welison Conceicao, has also been recruited to support the aftersales team in delivering high levels of customer service, as well as providing technical and product installation support.

A recent investment in the business’s marketing and operations departments has seen the creation of several other new roles including a digital and e-commerce coordinator, an accounts assistant and an operations coordinator. The new hires will operate out of the company’s HQ in Ilkley, which has expanded to incorporate more meeting space to allow face to face training with stockists to resume.