“Over the past year Surtio have provided crucial support as we have evolved our business. We have undergone a complete re-brand and change in focus. This was supported by Surtio consultancy, who offered depth of industry knowledge and complete confidentiality when guiding and evaluating our supply chain. We also required new employees, with Rodney and Omar’s willingness to understand our company structure, we found and attracted the right candidates and employed some important talent to grow our business.”

• David Hay, Managing Director

“After having used a fair number of  agencies over the years with variable success I was very impressed by Surtio’s fresh and professional approach to recruitment.  Surtio saved me a lot of time by actually understanding our business and our needs and based on that not wasting my time presenting unsuitable candidates.  I am very pleased to say that all the candidates that Surtio put forward (which was unbelievably also the only ones) are doing a fantastic job and for that I am grateful.”

• Jörgen Josefsson, Ex-UK Manager

“I like using Surtio as they are based in London and therefore able to offer us a very personal face to face service. I also think its important that Rodney is ex industry, takes the time to get to know our company and meets each candidate before he puts them forward.”

• Mark Baldwin, Ex-Sales Director

“Rodney has proven himself as having a ‘sixth sense’ when it comes to finding candidates who are suitable for Humanscale. He has an in-depth understanding of what we do and what we need. This undoubtedly puts him in a unique and advantageous position when compared to his peers. He is an extremely capable search professional who diligently profiles and selects candidates appropriate for the role. We highly recommend Surtio.”

• Tim Hutchings, President

“Surtio were a fantastic collaborator in helping us deliver an impactful product launch event. They showed great understanding and sensitivity to our product and brand values and knew exactly the tone to set.

Their team and event staff were very knowledgeable and worked incredibly hard. As a result the event was delivered exactly as it had be planned. We look forward to working with them in the future.”

• Stephen Block, UK Marketing Manager

“Rodney and Omar have both been extremely helpful and a most valuable resource when it came to understanding the major dynamics involved in the design furniture business in London. I believe that knowing the environment you operate within is the first necessary step to achieve profitable results. Surtio have massively helped in starting us on the right foot for our strategy in London for the near future.”

• Daniel Gava, Ex-UK General Manager

“We found Surtio to be professional, knowledgeable and efficient with their approach to Ultrafabrics’ hiring needs.  Surtio’s industry-related experience was instrumental in procuring relevant CV’s.

Most impressive was the amount of time Surtio was willing to invest in understanding essential points required of the position and by the company.

Surtio heard our requirements, listened to what was important to Ultrafabrics, and took an expert, direct, and common sense approach to providing us with viable candidates suited to the position.

That they did not waste key decision makers’ time but instead, took in-depth steps to send quality candidates for review was invaluable.

Thank you Surtio!”

• Barbara James, Director of HR

‘’Surtio have recruited personal for Narbutas over the past three years, on each occasion Rodney and Omar have delivered a quality service with very focused approach. Their direct approach is exactly what is required for our company and they completed the recruitment process very quickly and efficiently.

Rodney made the effort to visit the factory and our head office to fully understand the business and what would be required from a new employee. The difference with Surtio is their knowledge of the industry and their understanding of Narbutas.

This became evident with the quality of candidate Surtio were able to offer, we would have no issues at all recommending Surtio as a company and I am sure we will be asking for their services again in the future.‘’

• Gary Bolton, Head Of UK Business

‘’Surtio has a knowledge and understanding of the market that makes them unique.They have an ability to understand the culture of a company and match that with the right candidates.

The approach is refreshing, practical and very effective ‘’

• Paul Smith, UK Director

“We at Boss have found Surtio to be a good, free thinking and flexible company and I’d be happy to recommend their services to others”.

• Brian Murray, Managing Director

“Surtio’s industry experience means that they just get it.  They intuitively understood who we were and the type of candidates we were searching for. They did their research properly on both us and the people they put forward.

Rodney and Omar assess candidates on relevant skills and personality rather than industry experience alone.  Only appropriate applicants were proposed to us and the vacancies we had were filled by exactly the right people.”

• Ian Ashley, Ex-Sales Director

“Vitra have found Surtio to bring a fresh, new perspective to recruitment in the furniture industry. In addition they are flexible, realistic and practical when catering to our needs.”

• Tony Ash, Ex-Managing Director – UK & Middle East

“We have used the recruitment services of Surtio and are delighted with the results and refreshing approach Rodney and his team deliver. Their process is based upon truly understanding the brief from position through to company culture and then providing a small number of suitable candidates that fit the profile rather than the usual swamping of candidate CV`s that you would normally associate with the recruitment sector. Through this approach our interviewing process and search for the correct staff has been greatly reduced and targeted resulting in some excellent staff and a saving based on time.”

• Carl Abeydeera, Managing Director

“We used Surtio to assist with the launch event for our new London Showroom. We had every confidence in them to make the launch event a success and guarantee a great guest list. I found the honest and direct approach of the team to be very refreshing. They did not just provide us with an Event Management service, but their knowledge and understanding of the industry, along with their close relationships, ensured we targeted the right market for our business. I am very much looking forward to working with Rodney and Omar on future ventures.”

• Julian Roebuck, Managing Director

“A refreshing alternative to the other recruitment consultants we had considered.

Rodney and Omar instantly set themselves apart with their industry knowledge and their personal, yet direct approach. They took the time to come and visit us at our factory, outside London and really got under the skin of the company and the culture, so that when it came to finding the right person for a key role, they fully understood what we were looking for and the type of person who would fit.

The added value you get when working with Surtio is that they are extremely well-connected in the furniture industry and they know how to use those connections, frequently spotting opportunities to bring relevant people together.”

• Graham Ross, Managing Director

“We approached Surtio to not only look at the way we recruit in the UK, but to understand the way the market has evolved and gain a clear understanding to develop our strategy for the future. Most recruitment companies do not have a deep understanding of our market sector, this is definitely not the case with Surtio. Our team has benefited from Rodney’s expert insight, giving us complete confidence in the direction and decisions we make. Our relationship continues with input from Omar, on process and business case management for our new team, who are already achieving excellent levels of business in supporting our clients in the UK.”

• Dr. Bernhard Kallup, Ex-CEO of Sedus Stoll AG

“We hired Surtio on a 3 month consultancy contract to help us restructure our operations in the UK. We were very impressed by the transparent communication we received from the first day and their attitude was different and modern. They have a very in-depth understanding of the A&D, D&B and Dealer set-up and helped us design our routes to market. This approach saved us a lot of time, money and resources. Surtio fulfilled all their promises. We will definitely be using them again.”

• Roman Przybylski, Board Director

“We found Surtio extremely efficient for a company abroad like ourselves. At first, we were looking for a Director for the UK and Middle East to set up our London branch in Clerkenwell. Now I understand that Surtio is much more than the average recruitment company. If you listen well, they can give you a lot of good advice and they are always happy to share. Surtio understands the win-win principle and that’s what business is about, isn’t it.”

• Steve Symons, CEO

“We used Surtio for consultancy and recruitment at the time of establishing Forma 5 in the UK in 2008. As a foreign company Surtio helped us understand that London is unique in its approach to office furniture and different to any other market that we currently trade in. Surtio advised us about the direction we had to take in setting up our UK operation, which was different from our initial thoughts. Finally, following Surtio’s guidance, we can now say we made the right decisions, and also saved a lot of time and money.They took a very active part in many aspects of the company offering a great level of support to our new staff, giving them constructive advice and training on the industry and the current market situation. They have also been a tremendous help with connectivity within the industry, which makes them outstanding in their jobs.Their resourcefulness and refreshing approach along with a deep knowledge and understanding of the market, makes them unique.Surtio is a very useful resource and they have been an invaluable asset to our company’s success. We highly recommend Surtio for the experience, effectiveness, professionalism and confidentiality that they offer. We will definitely keep using them in the future.”

• Rubén Fernández, European Manager

“We have used Surtio for both event management and recruitment and they consistently offer a high quality and efficient service. They have excellent industry knowledge and relationships and are always a pleasure to deal with.”

• Sarah Herman, Owner

“A refreshingly professional approach to recruitment.”

• John Wesson, MD, Icon Screens

“Techo have benefitted from Surtio’s services on several levels for several years. Surtio planned and staffed our very successful 10-year anniversary showroom party – around 150 people attended and  we received numerous compliments. Rodney has also advised us on our marketing programme and he has, without question, enhanced and focused our activities. Finally, Surtio have advised us on our recruitment policies. In all respects, Surtio have provided us with an excellent service and I would unhesitatingly recommend Rodney and his team.”

• Barry Foley, Ex-Managing director
  

“As an acknowledged sceptic and cynic, and one who has never totally embraced the Recruitment Profession, I was fascinated when Surtio was strongly recommended to me by a friend in the furniture industry. I have to admit that my conversations and discussions with Rodney were like a breath of fresh air, and that I found his approach and views sensibly direct – some might find him abrasive but you know where you stand and you arrive at the desired goal quickly and efficiently. We have as a result been able to recruit a new member to our team who we see being part of our continued growth for many years to come – we will talk to Rodney again when the next opportunity arises!”

• Nicholas Podolier, Ex-Director

“Surtio are like a breath of fresh air in our industry. The direct no nonsense approach has saved us a lot of time when recruiting. The fact that they do not clog up my e-mail inbox with dozens of seemingly impressive CVs from candidates that prove otherwise when interviewed. We would certainly use Surtio again.”

• Jim Meier, Managing Director

“I admire Rodney’s no nonsense, direct and sometimes blunt business manner. It’s very refreshing to meet a fellow industry professional who clearly and knowledgeably says what he thinks rather than tells you what you want to hear. Having successfully recruited an industry sales professional through Surtio, Rodney will be the first person I will call when we next look to recruit.”

• Martin Clarke, Managing Director

“Surtio have supplied staff for CBS. We like to use them because they have a different, fresh, approach. Surtio acquire in depth knowledge of the company they are recruiting for so they can ensure the people they propose will be a good fit. Surtio are so sure of their candidates potential they will return their fee if they prove unsuccessful within 3 months. 3 months is not necessarily long enough for someone to prove themselves. However, it does give a degree of security and shows commitment from Surtio that they believe in the people they put forward. Surtio also provide ‘after sales support’ by mentoring the appointee well into their new career, providing advice and market knowledge.”

• Martyn Colebrook, Managing Director
  

“I have known Rodney 22 years having both started in the industry at the same time. Now as Sales Director for Allermuir I only use Rodney for my recruitment and our Group have had 4 new recruits off Surtio in the last 12 months. You know where you stand and you know what you’re going to get with Surtio. No time wasting and time wasters; when he gets a candidate in front of you, chances are you’ll employ them. The 4 people we employed were from only 5 we saw from Surtio so they’re doing half the work already for you. Next year we’ll be holding a huge party and they’ll be organising the lot.

So like I said I’ve known him 22 years, if you don’t know him then you need to – you’re business will only benefit.”

• Robin Bayliss, Ex-Sales Director

“I have always been reluctant to use recruitment companies when employing staff because I have found that other than saving me a few hours of interviews, they offered me no other benefits . However, Surtio have proven to be completely different, so much so that I would call their service unique.

They assisted me in 2008 when I was in need of a new salesperson and accepting their help was one of the best business decisions I have made. They took the time to understand my business first and then to help me establish the role I needed to fill. Having been in business for over 20 years, I thought I knew everything about salespeople and the industry in which we work but this was not the case. Surtio have so much experience in how lots of organisations work, large and small and this experience helped me understand and appreciate where my company could expand and open new avenues of business.

The result of this understanding was that I employed a new salesman who opened a whole new area of business into which we have been extremely successful. I have since taken on several new members of staff and the percentage of my workforce who have come through Surtio now totals 60%. All of whom have been perfect for the roles I needed and have brought with them new skills and understanding that have taken the business forward.”

• Tony Antoniou, Managing Director

“We have worked closely with Surtio, on a consultancy basis, over the past year developing our London presence. Rodney and Omar took the time to visit our Birmingham HQ to learn about our business in detail, allowing them to clearly advise on how JDD approach the market and grow our business.

We highly recommend the Surtio team, and will continue to make use of all aspects of Surtio’s Consultancy, Recruitment and Events for many years to come.”

• Joe Duffell, Co-Owner

“Having used Surtio on many occasions now, I am very pleased with the quality of the candidates they have put forward across all disciplines within our business. The vetting process they provide prior to sending in the candidates is invaluable. It ensures we don’t waste time interviewing unsuitable people for positions and has led to us employing and retaining a number of key individuals within our company to date. We will be continuing to use Surtio as our company grows and look forward to working with their team of friendly staff.”

Stuart Young, Managing Director

“Surtio have proved an invaluable source of inspiration and direction over the past 2 years whilst we have been developing our workagile range and setting up the showroom in EC1. With Surtio, what you see is what you get and whilst he might not be everybody’s cup of tea, Rodneys no bullshit approach is actually quite refreshing. They have a proven track record stretching back many years in the industry and by combining the recruitment and events aspects of their business they remain well connected. We will continue to work with Surtio on an ongoing basis as we seek to grow our London based sales team and are looking forward to letting them host our 1^st party in the not so distant future.”

• Chris Glass, Managing Director