Newton County’s former industrial recruiter has signed on with local business Wagner Service Solutions in an effort to expand the company’s reach into new markets.

Roger Harrison, former senior vice president of economic development for the county’s Office of Economic Development, is joining Wagner’s senior management team as its chief business development officer.

Harrison will be responsible for helping the company grow by both opening more brick-and-mortar stores in other states and growing its staffing business in other sectors, outside of Wagner’s core light industrial staffing.

“We are ecstatic Roger has joined our team,” CEO Jeff Wagner said in a press release. “Roger’s ability to bring parties together to construct deals has been well proven in our community.”

In his previous position, Harrison had a direct hand in recruiting four new industries, Vestar Technologies, Pasco Sprinkler, Stamptech Metals and Amesbury Extruded Plastics, and also helped with three expansions of existing industries, SKC Inc., Bridgestone Golf and Nisshinbo Automotive.

According to his resume, Harrison has worked for the University of Georgia, beverage company Cranium Freeze North America and Coca-Cola North America, where he served as business development manager from 2001-2005.

Based in Covington, Wagner Solutions provides services in 22 states, employs around 400 and works in the staffing, janitorial, security and vending fields tailored to commercial, industrial and manufacturing businesses.

Wagner Solutions has largely operated under the radar but with the high-profile hiring of Harrison, Wagner said the company is ready to move into a more public phase of growth.

“As we’ve grown and gotten to where we are now, we’re taking a little more public stance, and we hope people see this and say, ‘Wow,’ and if they’re not doing business with Wagner, we hope they realize we’re doing some great things and say, ‘We would love to do business with them,’” Wagner said in a follow-up phone call Tuesday.

Harrison, who is moving to South Carolina to be closer to his significant other, will lead expansion efforts across the U.S., though one of the first brick-and-mortar expansions is planned for South Carolina.

“I am extremely pleased to be a part of the Wagner family,” Harrison said in a press release.

“Jeff and his team have an excellent reputation in the industry, and I look forward to being a part of their stellar organization.”

One of the sectors Wagner could see his company expanding into, is health care staffing, giving all of the changes that will come with the health care reform act.