Liverpool based HE Simm went into administration last month with the loss of 127 jobs and owing £18m to creditors.

Now Wirral-based Kimpton has taken on Ian Bruce, former operations director at HE Simm and Peter O’Keeffe, former work winning director alongside senior project manager Neil Davies, lead mechanical estimator John Glynn, and Shane Hartley, who was previously electrical pre-construction lead at the firm.

The appointments boost Kimpton’s technical operations capacity as the business embarks on a new phase of growth under its new-look management board, which led the firm to a successful MBO 12 months ago following an increase in revenues to £25m.

The new team will support Kimpton’s expanded delivery of mechanical, electrical and plumbing services to commercial and public sector clients across the UK, while the firm continues to see growing demand for full commercial fit-out projects, decarbonisation and hard facilities management services.

Tim Davis, managing director at Kimpton, said: “The completion of our MBO almost a year ago, and the growth we have achieved over the past few years, have given us a really strong platform for further growth.

“Kimpton has a new outlook, with fresh leadership, and that has been further reinforced with the recruitment of a stellar team of five talented and experienced industry operators.

“Ian, Peter, Neil, John and Shane each bring a wealth of specialist client experience and we are delighted to be able to blend them with the existing expertise within our business as we set about achieving our next phase of expansion across a range of client service areas.”

Ian Bruce said: “Kimpton is a highly-respected operator in M&E and HVAC services, and is also successfully expanding its footprint into other services, so the strength of the firm is clear, as is the potential for future growth, founded on a fresh perspective.

“We arrive as a team, but we are looking forward to integrating our experience and our client network with those of our new colleagues. We are excited for this next chapter in our careers and the opportunities it can bring for ourselves, Kimpton and its clients.”