Celebrating 50 Years Promoting People

Today, 7th March 2010, Reed celebrates 50 years in business.

Since Alec Reed opened our first office on May 7th 1960, Reed have helped thousands of organisations grow and become successful. During this time, our 30 specialist divisions have helped jobseekers find a wide range of jobs - from management accountants to javelin coaches, and from classroom assistants to deep sea welders.

Here are a few milestones in Reed's development into one of the most recognisable companies in the UK.

1960...
The first Reed branch was opened on Kingsley Road in Hounslow, to the west of London, on 7th May 1960.

In the early 1960s Reed pioneered specialist recruitment services, a move which fundamentally changed the UK recruitment market.
 
1970...
In 1972, Alec founded the Reed Business School in a Cotswolds manor house to provide residential courses for accountancy students. In 1978 the Business School manor was used as the location for an episode of Dr Who.
 
1980...
To date Alec Reed has founded three charities – Womankind Worldwide, Ethiopiaid and thebiggive.org. uk – a project to help philanthropists give intelligently.

1990...
In the 90’s Reed became the first high street recruitment agency in the UK to have a
presence on the web. Freecruitment has helped reed.co.uk to become Europe’s biggest jobs board, used by 85% of the UK’s top 100 recruitment agencies.
 
1995...
Launched in 1995, Reed Learning has become one of the UK’s leading business training providers – the first to launch Green Learning courses, the exclusive training partner to Google and winner of several national training awards.
 
1998...
Established in 1998, Reed in Partnership now delivers three of the Department of Work and Pensions top five performing welfare to work programmes.
 
2010...
Reed has become one of the UK’s largest private companies. Our head office is now on Baker Street, on the site of the former Beatles’ Apple Boutique.

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