Express Employment Professionals, 1450 Rowe Parkway, has reached a milestone. It is celebrating its 10th anniversary -- 10 years of providing temporary jobs for people in local businesses.
Tyler Lance who owns the local franchise is proud of that growth. The business is operated locally, but has national support.
Lance says he maintains a personal relationship with all of the employees. His company provides a service to other employers by doing all the screening and tests of all employees and then finds work for them. Express contracts with Mid-Contenient Nail Corp. and SUSA for most manufacturing jobs, but also supplies temporary skilled and unskilled workers for other manufacturers and businesses in the service sector. He said his employees run about 60 percent manufacturing and 40 percent service sector.
Express Personnel moved to its current location in the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park about two years ago from the previous location downtown, Lance said. That move coincides with the growth of the company. During the same time period, the local company has seen a growth of 100 percent each of the past two years. This year, Lance said, the increase is running at about 50 percent. The slowdown "just makes us work a little harder," he said.
He emphasized he is happy with the growth but will never be satisfied.
His company's annual payroll last year was $1.3 million. Calculated in economic terms, his manufacturing payroll added the equivalent of $9.1 million to the economy and the service sector employees added about $6.5 million based on how many times the average dollar circulates through the local economy.
Lance said he periodically checks to make sure the client is happy with the employee. Before the employee goes to work for an Express client, Lance makes sure the employee is the right fit for the job.
Lance said he has had employees at all manufacturing plants.
After the employee goes to work as a temporary, he may be hired by the company. He said a temporary employee averages about three months with Express. While an employee of Express Personnel, all taxes, insurance, social security, workmen's comp, and 401(k) are paid by Express.
Instead of writing five checks, the client just writes one, Lance explained.
It's really a neat concept and a definite advantage for the client. It also puts the employee on the fast lane to get employment because he already has been pre-screened and interviewed. Lance said his company does background checks and drug screens on everybody without exception.
Founded in 1985, the parent organization is still a privately-owned company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla.
"It's a great company to work with. It's a very unique company and still respects people," he said.