The move, a staff increase of 25% for the Pudsey-based company, has come off the back of "considerable growth" after a MBO in September last year.

"It has been quite frustrating recently as we've had to turn work away because we didn't have enough staff," said Scorpio chief executive Ian Whitfield.

He added that Scorpio is set to hit the acquisition trail in three to six month's time. Whitfield said that recent growth was down to the diversity of the company and its significant resources. He led the MBO with sales director Daniel Graham (PrintWeek, 18 September, 2003).

Scorpio plans to recruit 10 skilled and 40 semi-skilled or unskilled staff.

The firm is also investing in training. It is working with Bradford-based The Business Training Company to train 24 of its employees aged 16 to 25. They will receive a NVQ qualification from City and Guilds at the end of next year.

"It is an important area of investment and we hope to reap the rewards in around five years time," said Whitfield. "By bringing our own trainees through we hope it will result in greater loyalty and give them a better understanding of how we do things."

The company has been investing in new equipment since the end of last year. In October it bought an Autobond thermal laminator for 200,000 (PrintWeek, 30 October, 2003). It made a similar sized investment, earlier this year, in Technique shopfloor data terminals to monitor 27 different processes (PrintWeek, 25 March).

Story by Philip Chadwick