Our Story

Two friends from Witham, Robyn Holmes and Margaret Locke, identified a gap in the local recruitment market. Businesses required more than just an agency; they needed a genuine partner who understood their requirements. Combining their creativity, determination, and a clear vision, they established Prime Appointments. As Witham's manufacturing and industrial businesses flourished, Prime Appointments was poised to make a significant impact.

In the years that followed, Robyn and Margaret poured their energy into building something special—expanding the Prime team, broadening their services into Office and Industrial roles, and ensuring local businesses received the best support possible. Always thinking ahead, they introduced a game-changer for Witham’s temporary workforce—investing in two mini-buses to provide reliable transport to and from placements. This forward-thinking move made life easier for workers and gave businesses a more dependable staffing solution.

As Prime continued to grow, it became clear that a strong visual identity was needed—one that truly reflected its values and the people it supports. The tree logo was introduced, symbolising growth and strong connections, with its fruit representing Prime’s two original divisions—oranges for office roles and pears for industrial work. While the design has evolved over the years, the Prime tree remains a familiar and meaningful symbol, a lasting connection to the company’s roots.

Heading into a new millennium, a request of an industrial client leads to the start of what will become one of Prime's most successful divisions, Technical & Engineering now known as two separate divisions Engineering and Manufacturing. To manage the growth of business, Prime implemented a new automated CRM system to bring Prime into the digital age and working more efficiently than ever.

Prime's reputation grew, becoming one of the leading agencies in Essex. To better serve our clients and expand, Robyn and Margaret took a significant step and opened a new office in Sudbury.

A couple of years prior, at just 51 years old, Margaret was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s—an incredibly difficult moment for everyone who knew her. A fiercely intelligent and passionate woman, she played a huge role in shaping Prime into the company it is today. In 2008, as her health made it harder to continue, Margaret made the difficult decision to step away from the business. Although no longer at Prime day-to-day, her influence remains at the heart of everything we do. In her honour, we began fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society—a commitment that continues to this day

Robyn’s son, Jack O’Brien, joins Prime Appointments as a Recruitment Consultant in the Industrial team, marking the start of the next generation at Prime. With his arrival, the business officially becomes a second-generation family company, reinforcing its commitment to local businesses and communities across East Anglia.

In line with our commitment to innovation, we decided to refresh and modernise our brand image. A new minimalist logo was designed by well-known calligrapher Peter Horridge, symbolising our evolution as a company and coinciding with one of our biggest developments yet.

We built a brand-new, 4,000-square-foot office at Austin House in Witham. Working with local trades, we created a vibrant open-plan space that encourages collaboration and teamwork for our members and provides a welcoming environment for clients and candidates.

As we marked our 25th anniversary, we reflected on our growth from one industrial division to six specialist sectors. We helped local businesses thrive, achieving a turnover of £8 million.

Robyn’s daughter, Katie Holmes, joined Prime Appointments after graduating from university, becoming the next second-generation family member in the business. With a fresh perspective and a passion for recruitment, Katie continues the family legacy, strengthening Prime’s roots as a truly family-run agency.

Prime Appointments officially partnered with Alzheimer’s Society in 2018. Pledging to raise £100,000 by 2028—a commitment driven by our deep connection to the cause and our determination to support those affected by the disease.

Jack’s dedication and impact at Prime were recognised when he was appointed Director, officially stepping into the role on January 1st, 2020. His leadership played a key role in expanding our Technical, Commercial, and Accounts teams, strengthening the support we provide to businesses across the region.

The year started with energy and optimism, but the arrival of COVID-19 changed everything. As the world faced uncertainty, businesses had to adapt overnight. “Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives” became the national message, and like many, we found ourselves navigating uncharted territory.

With key workers in high demand, our Care and Industrial divisions became more important than ever, helping to support essential services across East Anglia. As offices closed, we embraced remote working, relying on digital tools and flexible working practices to keep operations running. It was a challenging time, but it reinforced the strength of our team and the resilience of the businesses we support.

Despite the challenges of the year, our team remained committed to making a difference. A group of brave team members took to the skies, completing a skydive to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society. Their efforts raised an incredible £15,000, a huge milestone in our ongoing fundraising journey. After facing one of the toughest years in business, this achievement was a testament to the dedication and spirit of our team. 

Prime Appointments proudly celebrated 30 years of success, a milestone made possible by the passion and dedication of our entire team, alongside the vision of our founding Director, Robyn Holmes. Together, we’ve grown from a small agency to a respected name in recruitment across Essex and Suffolk.

In March 2022, Layla joined Prime Appointments as Finance Director, bringing nearly 30 years of diverse experience in finance and management. Her background includes key roles at Bank of New York Mellon and GE Energy, where she led high-level finance operations and implemented significant software projects. Layla’s expertise in process improvement and adaptability makes her a valuable asset to our team, further strengthening our commitment to excellence in financial management at Prime.

We’re thrilled to announce the opening of our new office in Bury St Edmunds, which marks an exciting step forward in our mission to better serve our Suffolk clients. With a dedicated team in place and led by our branch manager, Carl Bashford, we’re committed to providing tailored support to local businesses.

Our recent Golf Day was a huge success, bringing in an incredible £78,000! Coupled with our Memory walks, skydive, cake bakes, and charity runs, we've surpassed our initial goal of £100,000. This achievement has motivated us to set a new target of £250,000 to raise by 2028.

We took significant steps toward sustainability by investing in solar panels for our Witham office roof and transitioning to electric company cars. These initiatives reflect our commitment to energy efficiency and align with the growing importance of minimising our environmental impact.

We celebrated reaching our £250,000 fundraising target for Alzheimer’s Society, thanks to the generosity of our golf event participants, four dedicated London Marathon runners, and the hard work of our friend Stuart Levett. This achievement led us to set an ambitious new goal of raising £500,000 by 2030, underscoring our unwavering commitment to this vital cause.

Jack O’Brien steps up as Joint Managing Director, partnering with his mother, Robyn Holmes, to guide Prime Appointments into the future. Having joined the team in 2011 and serving as Director since 2020, Jack brings a wealth of experience and a shared commitment to our values of positivity, accountability, and teamwork. Together, they look forward to maintaining Prime's strong focus on quality recruitment.