NORTH Hampshire recruitment agency Active Staff is celebrating the arrival of two new consultants who will be key to the company's expansion plans, says proprietor Graham White.

Steve Barber has joined the firm as commercial temps consultant, while Kim Hood takes over the industrial temps desk.

Steve boasts eight years in the recruitment industry and was formerly Andover branch manager with now-defunct agency Gateway.

Kim is new to the recruitment scene but has extensive experience of staff management in the entertainment industry.

Steve said: "I'm really happy to be joining Active Staff. It was a really easy decision to make as I was well aware of the company's high profile and excellent reputation in the area."

Graham White said: "Recruitment in this area takes a lot of understanding and that's exactly what Steve has - he knows the area so well. He and Kim are going to be real assets as Active Staff continues its expansion plans for next year."

Originally trained as an actor, Graham has appeared in a number of popular television shows and was last seen on TV presenting ITV's The Road Show, alongside Tim Harvey, in 2000.

He founded Active Staff in 1999, having developed a passion for the industry while managing a branch of a national recruitment chain to support his acting career.

"Ever since I first went into recruitment, I've just loved the whole concept of the job and what I do," added Graham.

Having started in Graham's back bedroom, Active Staff now occupies a spacious suite of offices in the centre of Andover and has loyal clients all over the north Hampshire region.

The reasons behind the company's success are simple. Graham explained: "Conscientiousness and hard work are never compromised, and when candidates visit our offices, they can expect a warm and friendly welcome coupled with a thoroughly professional service.

"We have a policy of getting to know and understand our clients' businesses and how they operate, which enables us to supply them with exactly the right personnel.

"We also continue to make ourselves available for either routine or emergency matters way beyond normal working hours, both for the client and the candidate - it's all just part of the Active Staff service."