Gross profits from Irish recruitment firm Grafton Employment Solutions Portfolio are overtaking those earned in the company's domestic businesses, according to Grafton's most recent set of results .

Grafton, which has its headquarters in Belfast, has announced record trading results for its Irish and international businesses combined, with gross profit up for 2006-7 by 17.6% to £36.9m on turnover of over £110.6m. Gross profit for its Irish operations amounted to £17.7m, while the gross profit from overseas led with £19.2m. A similar situation is forecast for 2007-8, although turnover from the Irish business will continue to significantly outpace that of overseas operations..

"Over the next 12 months we expect to move to a situation where our international network contributes at least as much in terms of profit to the company as our Irish business," said Grafton co-founder and group chairman James Kilbane.

He added, "We expect this trend to continue and consolidate into the future."

The next 12 months will see the Irish recruiter expand its footprint, both in Ireland and abroad, to over 90 offices. Its expansion will include new offices in Chile, the Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey as well as Ireland. A new office opened in Athens under Grafton's executive search brand Spengler Fox two weeks ago.

Globally, the company is also present in Belgium, China, France, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain and United Arab Emirates.

Elsewhere in Eastern Europe, the company is looking to Bulgaria as a long-term option for expansion, a company insider revealed. "We are definitely considering moving there, and once again this is client driven… We look forward to the development and acceptance of our industry and Bulgarian legal and regulatory institutions becoming more 'robust'," the insider told Recruiter.

Within the UK, Grafton has recently opened a regional headquarters in St Albans, Herts. There, the company will first service the needs of Irish companies expanding into the British mainland. "The idea is to do what we are doing internationally and support Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland clients in their expansion," company marketing director Caroline Kilbane told Recruiter.

Grafton ESP comprises Grafton Recruitment, Spengler Fox, Grafton Healthcare, Blueprint Appointments and Mary B Cremin. Its services include outsourced HR solutions, outsourced recruitment solutions, interim management and executive search, international skills mobility and contingent recruitment and selection.