A US-based e-commerce company part-owned by a former Keighley businessman has launched a recruitment drive in West Yorkshire.

Frustrated by spiralling wage demands and the lack of suitable job candidates in California's Silicon Valley, Robert Kearney and business partner David Richards are seeking computer experts willing to swap Yorkshire's leaden skies for the sun-drenched shores of San Francisco Bay.

Mr Richards, 29, originally from Sheffield, said the business-to-business software development company, B2B-ERP.COM, was hopeful of recruiting staff back home.

The rapidly-growing company, which has recently secured more than $750,000 of venture capital from US backers, is hoping to expand its 20-strong workforce to 50 by the end of 2000.

Mr Richards, who studied at Huddersfield University with Mr Kearney, said: "People may laugh at the idea of launching a search for new staff members more than 6,000 miles away from a company's base, but we are confident the right candidates will get in touch."

He said many Silicon Valley-based 'dotcom' companies have tapped the growing supply of talent from the Indian subcontinent's software industry, but even Indian workers' wage demands exceed those of British-based computer whizzkids.

Mr Kearney, 29, said: "The software we are working on has been used in England by organisations such as the Bradford-based Yorkshire Building Society and the Inland Revenue so the talent is definitely out there."

Mr Kearney added that B2B was also exploring the possibility of recruiting current students at Huddersfield University to 'year-out' work placements in the Golden State.

"We recently announced financing from a group of independent investors which will be applied to product development and marketing for the B2B-ERP product range," he added.

For more information on the firm use the web address www.b2b-erp.com

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