EXECUTIVE recruitment company Livingston James is planning to increase its staff numbers by more than 50% in the next 18 months.

The business, which moved into a new headquarters in Glasgow in the summer, and also has an office in Edinburgh, recently secured investment from UK Steel Enterprise. Now Livingston James, which works with around half of Scotland's FTSE-250 companies, is going to use that funding to accelerate its growth plans and is gearing up to add to its 11 staff.

It hopes to add a third UK office by the end of next year and set up a first international base in 2014.

Co-founder Jamie Livingston said: "The rate of growth in the company since it was established two-and-a-half years ago has been extremely gratifying.

"However, we are now embarking on a major new growth spurt, catalysed by the UKSE investment, which will allow us to bring longer term plans into fruition much earlier.

"The additional funding and new office will allow the business to accelerate our expansion both domestically and overseas

"We feel we have been quite fortunate. We do not think we are seeing favourable market conditions but we are growing."

Mr Livingston, formerly with Michael Page, founded the firm with ex-Hudson executive Andy Rogerson.

Mr Livingston confirmed the business hoped to develop its presence in the fast moving consumer goods, oil and gas, and professional services sectors.

He added: "The office in Glasgow has six people at the moment and there is capacity for 18. In Edinburgh we have five people and room for about eight.

"So we would see the capacity for headcount growth in the short term to be in Glasgow."