Dyson set to create 300 new jobs

Dyson has been boosted by 30 per cent growth in some markets last year

Published: 12:40pm, 12th February 2012

British success story Dyson has broken through the £1 billion turnover mark for the first time and revealed plans to create 300 new skilled jobs.

The engineering firm founded by Sir James Dyson, most well known for its bag-less vacuum cleaner, saw sales rise by a quarter in 2011 with 30% growth in some markets such as the US.

Dyson's new chief executive, Max Conze, former head of the US division, pledged to create 300 jobs, of which 200 will be engineering roles and at least 150 going to graduates.

The Wiltshire-based group, which employs 3,600 staff worldwide, was founded in 1992 and now sells machines, including hand dryers, in more than 50 markets.

It was reported that if profit margins in 2011 were maintained as for 2010 then the company could be expected to hit £230 million operating profit, although this is yet to be revealed.

Mr Conze has replaced Martin McCourt, who spent a decade as chief executive at the engineering firm.

Mr McCourt introduced Dyson to the US and in less than two years Dyson became America's leading vacuum cleaner manufacturer by value. Mr McCourt also expanded Dyson across Europe, Canada and Japan.

Mr Conze, who had an 18-year career at Procter & Gamble before joining Dyson, said: "My job is to take the new technology developed by our expanding army of engineers and grow Dyson - more machines and markets. And of course, more people."

Dyson is recruiting mechanical engineers, fluid dynamics engineers, aerodynamics engineers, and acoustic engineers. In a £1.4 million deal Dyson recently announced it is funding a Cambridge University professorship to support breakthrough engineering and scientific research over the next decade.

Dyson, which posted operating profits of £206 million in 2010 on revenues of £887 million, designs its products in the UK but makes them in Malaysia following a switch in 2003.