Recruitment company Empresaria plans to boost its market profile and raise more cash for investments by moving from OFEX to AIM.

A statement said such a flotation would “give the company greater access to capital” to grow its business at home and abroad and “increase its ability to attract acquisition opportunities and good management teams for start-ups”.

Since forming the company in 1996, chief executive Miles Hunt has built the business by investing in start-ups and acquisitions on the condition that the management teams retain a “meaningful equity stake” in their businesses.

Recruitment firms within the Empresaria Group include rec-to-rec company McCall and building services specialist Reflex HR.

In its interim results reported last week, Empresaria’s turnover was up 56% to £20.9m in the six-month period ended 30 June 2004. Gross profit (net fee income) rose 18% to £6.2m and pre-tax profits were £440,000, down from £510,000 for the same period in 2003.

In July this year Hunt appointed Tony Martin – the former Vedior chairman and chief executive – as chairman of the company.