Umbrella and payroll provider JSA Services has announced its second acquisition this week – CDI Contractor Services Ltd (CCSL).

Earlier this week, the Watford-based company announced it had completed the acquisitions of Conduit People Management and Conduit Accounting Services from Huntswood CTC.

This morning, the 26-year old company announced it had acquired the contractor base of CCSL from professional services recruiter CDI AndersElite, as well as forming a long-term partnership with the selling company to provide umbrella and limited company solutions to its continuing contractors.

The deal extends JSA’s presence in the engineering, rail, IT and oil & gas sectors from its base in driving and logistics, healthcare, education and the professional sector. 

Ben Dunn, JSA’s managing director, told Recruiter the company’s growth strategy was both organic and through acquisition. 

“The [umbrella] sector we operate in is highly fragmented and so there are plenty of opportunities.”

The company now serves about 2,800 limited company clients and about 4,500 umbrella employees.

Dunn, who stepped up from his finance director role to managing director earlier this year, said the company had longer-term ambitions to provide services internationally but was currently solely UK focused.

While based in Hertfordshire, geography was no longer a factor for JSA doing business, he said: “Certainly [this was the case] in umbrella services but also in contractor accounting services, so we have clients from Exeter to Aberdeen.

“There will always be a niche for the high-street accountant but increasingly, people are more than happy to be served online, over the phone.” 

When asked whether the acquisitions would be rebranded, he told Recruiter he could not say.

And asked if the company had set its sights on any other businesses, Dunn said: “We’re always looking for opportunities.”

He continued: “The demand for what we do is ever increasing. As the size of the UK population increases, and the number of people that are working for themselves, be that contracting [or] freelancing, so the whole base is growing… the whole umbrella and contractor accounting sector is still highly fragmented. We expect there to be consolidation in the sector and we are actively playing a part in that consolidation.”

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