Social housing contractor employs 33 ex-Tolent workers

A social housing specialist has swooped to recruit more than 30 employees laid off by collapsed contractor Tolent.

Re:Gen Group, which specialises in the refurbishment of social housing across the North East of England, has appointed 33 of the firm’s former workers as part of an expansion plan that includes the creation of a new asbestos-remediation business.

Gateshead-based Tolent, one of the largest contractors in the region with a revenue of £200m, entered administration last week with the loss of 313 jobs.

Earlier this week, Brims Construction announced that it would take over Tolent’s Teesside operations, re-employing up to 150 former members of the company’s staff.

Re:Gen Group has now appointed nine ex-Tolent workers to new roles within the group, while safeguarding an additional 24 jobs with the setting-up of Re:Gen Solutions, a subsidiary delivering asbestos abatement and management services to the firm’s social housing clients.

The new outfit has been established as part of a growth strategy for the group that will see it relocate its headquarters to expanded 830 square-metre premises in Sunderland’s Doxford International Business Park.

Among the former Tolent workers to land roles at the new operation is Anthony Wade, who has been appointed as managing director of Re:Gen Solutions, as well as Shaun Nesbitt, joining as operations manager, and Paul Dickinson, who takes on the job of contracts manager.

“It’s been a whirlwind few days to say the least, but as one door closes, another has most certainly opened,” said Wade.

“Over the course of the coming days, we will touch base with all existing clients to ensure a seamless transition, along with providing the emergency response cover that may be required.

“It’s a very exciting step forward for our business and a very promising one for our industry, too.”

Lee Francis, chief executive of Re:Gen Group, said Wade and his team’s commitment and level of care to deliver quality solutions made the venture a “seamless fit” for the group and its culture.

He pledged that the new business would drive much-needed change in the industry.

“We cannot continue to watch more and more businesses fall down due to unrealistic expectations, cost cutting and a race to the bottom,” he said.

“It’s time to ignite a change in policy and rewrite the script for the longevity of our sector.”

Re:Gen Group was one of three contractors appointed to a £150m construction framework by the Thirteen Group housing association last year.