It's easy to hear the employment rate reported in the news and forget it relates to people. This print edition we went out and found some people who are positive about the future and are expanding their teams to meet demand.

Beyond the data associated with the state’s employment rate, you’ll find it’s people who employ people. We didn’t have to go very far to find nine people across the broad spectrum of the state’s economy who are building their business and need you to help them do it.

Tom Rieger, founder and owner at TPR Electrical, established 2012.
Employees: 7
Industry: Construction and energy

Hey Tom, why are you hiring?
TPR Electrical is engaged in the commercial market through the constant and steady quantity of new apartment buildings in South Australia. With the predicted growth of the city in years to come, we hope to continue to thrive in this area. Most recently, we have begun undertaking work in the renewables market with the addition of the TPR Renewables brand. This is an area that we feel is going to dictate the future of the industry, and also help us grow our business.

Who will the successful candidate will be?
We are currently a team of seven with intentions to be at least 15 by the end of the calendar year. We’re looking to hire commercial electricians, solar-accredited installers and designers and a sales person to assist with TPR Renewables requests.

Dr Alex Grant, CEO at Myriota, established 2015.
Employees: 22 team members
Industry: Space and technology

Hey Dr Alex, why are you hiring?
Our business is focussed on using our advanced communications technology and nanosatellites to create a new connectivity network for regional and remote businesses globally. Our patented technology is eight years in the making, and in 2018 was recognised for its potential to revolutionise multiple industries thanks to a US$15 million Series A funding round that attracted investment from Main Sequence Ventures, Boeing HorizonX Ventures, Singtel Innov8, and Right Click Capital.

Who will the successful candidate be?
We are going through a rapid growth phase. We expect to grow the team to 50 over the next year and are hiring new staff members to support our future business goals in business functions such as sales and marketing, service delivery and product development.

Jodi Glass, executive director at State Theatre Company, founded 1965.
Employees: 40-45 full-time + contractors
Industry: Arts and entertainment

Hey Jodi, why are you hiring?
My view is that we make theatre, in the broadest possible definition. I see every single person in the company contributing to the making of theatre. Our longest serving employee has just celebrated 40 years with the Company. He’s our head of workshop, Johnny Meyer.

Who will the successful candidate be?
We have an ambition to build an apprenticeship style program. It’s not an apprenticeship per se but in that vein, where people have vocational training and then have a job placement with us in the production / set construction department, wardrobe department and stage management department afterwards. These are absolutely crucial areas of our business and we want to up-skill and grow our company but – more widely – grow our industry because there are a number of arts companies that exist who need skilled labour.

David O’Loughlin, CEO at KWP!, established 1991.
Employees: 55 full-time employees
Industry: Advertising and marketing

Hey David, why are you hiring?
Twenty Eighteen was a great year for us creatively. We produced exciting new work for some brave new clients and some fresh work for existing ones. We re-tendered and retained RAA and Foodland but lost the South Australian Tourism Commission after 20 years. While disappointing, this gave us an opportunity to successfully pitch for Tourism NT, which we won only four months later and led to us setting up a Darwin office of KWP! that has gone on to win a whole suite of new clients.

Who will the successful candidate be?
Our industry has so many amazing job opportunities. Recently we’ve hired a full time social media manager, a senior art director and senior software engineer. A can-do attitude is key and a passion for their work and this state is essential.

Peta-Anne Louth & Nancy Downes, executive directors at Bespoke Hospitality, established 2011.
Employees: 80 casual employees
Industry: Hospitality and training

Hey Peta and Nancy, why are you hiring?
We are engaged across a multitude of sectors, from the food and wine industries to the arts and events sectors – we cover a lot! For Adelaide Festival we are responsible for all venue management, ushering and bars outside of the Adelaide Festival Centre. We also provide targeted marketing through our custom characters such as the RAA Rangers for RAA and The Super Squad with Statewide Superannuation. Our business has grown to Sydney now, through our collaboration with Cellarmasters, and this has opened up myriad opportunities interstate.

Who will the successful candidate be?
A creative person who has a love of food and beverage and the service sectors. Only those with a high sense of customer service need to apply! We are also seeking talented actors or the performatively inclined for our hosting team.

Nicole Karagiannis, regional director people and culture at Calvary Adelaide Hospital, established 1885.
Employees: *More than 1800 in SA
Industry: Healthcare

Hey Nicole, why are you hiring?
In South Australia, Calvary comprises four private hospitals. We also have two retirement facilities and multiple community care service centres. In mid 2019 the new Calvary Adelaide Hospital opens in the city, integrating the existing services provided by Calvary Wakefield Hospital and Calvary Rehabilitation Hospitals. The new Calvary Adelaide Hospital offers increased bed capacity, positioning it as South Australia’s largest private hospital – comprising 12 stories, 344 beds, specialist cardiac and orthopaedic clinics and a 24-hour emergency department.

Who will the successful candidate be?
In South Australia, with the increased capacity that the new Calvary Adelaide Hospital brings we are looking for new staff in almost all areas of the hospital. This includes many perioperative and general nursing positions, housekeeping, medical records, administrative and maintenance, carers and support workers.

Maggie Dowling, CEO at Bedford, established in 1945.
Employees: *1500 supported staff and 430 employees nationally
Industry: Manufacturing and social enterprise

Hey Maggie, why are you hiring?
Bedford was founded in 1945 initially to provide homes and work for injured or ill war veterans. Bedford offers a broad range of products, services and partnerships with commercial businesses from packaging airline cutlery to manufacturing furniture for major clients like Bunnings. However, due to some challenges with the NDIS rollout, Bedford understands there are around 1000 people waiting for the funding provision in place to be able to access supported employment. We know the NDIS is working hard to rectify this and we could provide at least 130 additional jobs tomorrow once this issue is resolved.

Who will the successful candidate be?
Currently we’re recruiting about 35 horticulture staff and also offering traineeships with our landscaping business A.P.G. (Adelaide Property & Gardens).

Darryl Cotter, general manager at OTR, founded 1984.
Employees: 145 stores employing 3,100 people
Industry: Retail and convenience

Hey Darryl, why are you hiring?
Over a decade ago, OTR outgrew the limited capability of a ‘petrol station,’ and took up the mantle of making life easy, a goal that makes OTR a world class convenience retailer. In the past year we have newly built or refurbished 10 stores, and our investment in the state continues into the future.

Who will the successful candidate be?
With projected new store growth over the next 12 months, we estimate we will hire more than 400 people in our metro and regional OTR sites. These roles include customer service, baristas, team leaders, chefs, cooks and area managers. In our site support office, we will always be seeking talent in our marketing, data analytics, finance, IT, customer service, HR and administration teams. We are continually looking for people who have the willingness and desire to succeed to fill a multitude of opportunities within OTR.