business services

Leading Global Staffing Franchise Recognized for Helping More Than 5,000 Job Seekers during COVID-19 Pandemic through Its Drive-Thru Job Fairs.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Express Employment Professionals, the leading global staffing provider franchise, announced today its first place accolade in Franchise Update‘s third annual Franchise Innovation Awards for the Most Innovative Employee Hiring in honor of its drive-thru job fairs. The events, which Express launched at the onset of the pandemic, placed more than 5,000 unemployed workers into new careers.

“Today we are reminded of our system’s incredible ability to adapt during a time when the global workforce was hit hardest,” said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express Employment Professionals. “In spite of the difficulties in the job market, our network of franchisees and their teams pushed through, allowing innovation to shine, all while helping businesses and community members create relationships to further career development. Today, we look forward to continuing this success and developing meaningful initiatives all while helping the market recover from a strenuous year.”

While unemployment rates rose in all 50 states, and the nationwide average peaked at an unprecedented 14.8% in April 2020, Express’ drive-thru job fairs provided job seekers with the opportunity to drop off their resume, apply for open positions, and learn more about employment opportunities, all in a mobile setting that allowed for social distancing. A majority of fairs took place in high-visibility locations such as parking lots or business complexes. For each fair, Express staff created two traffic lanes where they captured job seekers’ information and collect their resumes and, after analyzing the information submitted, employers instructed the job seekers to complete an application either online or in-person at a later date.

The 2021 Franchise Innovation Awards had more than 100 entrants competing in four categories: Marketing & Branding, Products & Services, Operations, and Human Resources. A jury of seven judges evaluated each nominee’s innovation, objectives, and results to identify and recognize the franchisors creating and implementing the most original and successful innovative strategies and tactics to build their brand.

Express Employment Professionals is the number-one flexible staffing franchise for people, communities and businesses. The company works with job seekers to help them find the right job for their skills and experience, and annually employs over 552,000 people across 830+ franchise locations worldwide. Express has been recognized as the staffing category leader on Entrepreneur magazine’s prestigious and highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking of the top franchise opportunities for 11 consecutive years and its franchisees have average annual sales per territory of over $5.4 million in the U.S.

Express’s long-term goal of putting a million people to work annually is at the heart of its company’s vision: to help as many people as possible find good jobs by helping as many clients as possible find good people. The brand is actively seeking qualified candidates to help grow its footprint throughout the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Express Employment Professionals, contact Vinny Provenzano, Vice President of Franchising, at vinny.provenzano@expresspros.com or visit www.expressfranchising.com.

New Corporate Program Equips Candidates With Foundational Skills Necessary for Successful Business Ownership.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Express Employment Professionals, the leading global staffing franchise, announced today the launch of its new Emerging Entrepreneur Program, a professional development curriculum designed to provide candidates with the tools, expertise and strategies needed to be an effective leader while working as a salaried employee through Express’ international headquarters in Oklahoma City. Those accepted into the program will learn how to use their skills in on-the-job scenarios, follow a proven path to future business ownership, gain insights from successful business leaders and more.

Over the course of 18 months, Emerging Entrepreneurs will work in various roles of an Express office as they prepare themselves to become a business leader or future business owner. The training program includes a hybrid of virtual and in-person learning through the Express network, offering candidates an immersive experience that helps them grow the skills needed to run a rewarding business. With one-on-one mentorship and invaluable insights from Express’ headquarters team and franchise owners, Emerging Entrepreneurs are given an opportunity to take their skills and future to the next level.

“At Express Employment Professionals, making an impact on the lives of job seekers, clients and the communities we serve is at the heart of what we do. When good leaders model positive leadership behaviors, it empowers others to take personal ownership of their own development, which is why this area has always been so important to us,” said Jason Patrick, Director of the Emerging Entrepreneur Program and Owner of Express Employment Professionals’ Nashville office. “We’re so excited to offer our new Emerging Entrepreneur Program to growth-minded, business-focused individuals who are ready to unleash their transferable skills and entrepreneurial potential within our proven franchise system while making a difference in the lives of others.”

As a company that has put more than 9 million people to work worldwide, Express is passionate about helping people elevate their careers and lives through professional development. The brand continually invests in developing exceptional talent through unparalleled mentorship opportunities, as well as programs like Emerging Entrepreneur and its existing “Bridge to Ownership” (BTO) program, which guides Express employees and staffing industry professionals to becoming franchise owners. In fact, since 2019, 15 individuals have transitioned into business ownership through the BTO program and are now among Express’ most successful franchisees.

“Starting out as an Express employee myself, I’ve experienced firsthand the value of the company’s many professional development opportunities. As I advanced throughout my career, I always aspired to own and operate a business of my own and Express’ BTO program allowed me to seamlessly bring the idea to fruition,” said Mark Leupold, owner of the Express Employment Professionals in Appleton, Wisconsin. “Express was by my side every step of the way and I know that the launch of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Program will allow aspiring business leaders the opportunity to gain tremendous knowledge as they determine their individual career paths.”

Express Employment Professionals is the number-one flexible staffing franchise for people, communities and businesses. The company works with job seekers to help them find the right job for their skills and experience, and annually employs more than 500,000 people across 830+ franchise locations worldwide. Express has been recognized as the staffing category leader on Entrepreneur magazine’s prestigious and highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking of the top franchise opportunities for 10 consecutive years and its franchisees have average annual sales per mature territory of more than $5 million in the U.S.

Aspiring Emerging Entrepreneurs can learn more about Express’ new program and apply for candidacy by visiting www.expressfranchising.com/emerge. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Express Employment Professionals, contact Vinny Provenzano, Vice President of Franchising, at vinny.provenzano@expresspros.com or visit www.expressfranchising.com.

Leading Staffing Provider Franchise Signs 61 Agreements to Expand Footprint Across North America and South Africa.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Express Employment Professionals, the leading global staffing provider franchise, announced today that it experienced significant growth in 2020, signing a total of 61 franchise agreements to bring 27 new offices to key target markets, while continuing operations at 34 existing locations and welcoming 50 new franchise operators, systemwide.

In February 2020, Express also acquired direct hire staffing firm, Frontline Recruitment Group, further expanding its global footprint into Australia and New Zealand for the first time.

“The global workforce was hit hard in 2020 by COVID-19 and each industry sector had different needs at different times. Despite the challenges and complexities that the pandemic presented, our franchisees rose to the occasion and helped fill thousands of jobs last year,” said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express Employment Professionals. “We feel humbly grateful to be able to make an impact on people’s lives in the way we do, and we’re excited to grow this impact in the years to come.”

Since its inception 38 years ago, Express has become the dominant brand in the staffing franchise sector, growing to more than 830 locations across three countries. Express’s longstanding reputation as a staffing industry leader, top-tier unit-level economics and proven track record of success have been driving forces behind its accelerated franchise development, and the brand is positioned for continued growth in 2021. This year, the company plans to open new offices in key areas across the globe; throughout the U.S. in California, New York and Ohio; in Ontario, Canada; as well as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Throughout 2020, Express was also recognized among the franchise and staffing industries’ most prestigious accolades, including Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500, Franchise Direct‘s Top 100 Global Franchises, the Canadian Franchise Association’s Recognition Awards, and ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing® Client and Talent Awards.

Express Employment Professionals is the number-one flexible staffing franchise for people, communities and businesses. The company works with job seekers to help them find the right job for their skills and experience, and annually employs over 552,000 people across 830+ franchise locations worldwide. Express has been recognized as the staffing category leader on Entrepreneur magazine’s prestigious and highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking of the top franchise opportunities for 10 consecutive years and its franchisees have average annual sales per territory of over $6 million in the U.S.

Express’s long-term goal is at the heart of its company’s vision: to help as many people as possible find good jobs by helping as many clients as possible find good people. The brand is actively seeking qualified candidates to help grow its brand footprint throughout the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Express Employment Professionals, contact Vinny Provenzano, Vice President of Franchising, at vinny.provenzano@expresspros.com or visit www.expressfranchising.com.

Company Recognized in Top 100 Franchise Brands Overall.

OKLAHOMA CITY — For the tenth consecutive year, Express Employment Professionals has received the distinction of the No. 1 Staffing Franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual Franchise 500® list released Tuesday. The company also landed in the top 100 franchise brands for the magazine’s 42^nd annual ranking.

“To reach a decade as the top staffing franchise on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list is entirely due to our hardworking franchise owners and the obstacles they overcame in 2020,” Express CEO Bill Stoller said. “These franchisees strengthened our brand so much that we were able to expand franchising internationally to Australia and New Zealand, as well as exceed our franchise sales goals for the year in the midst of a global pandemic. When faced with hardship, I’m proud to say Express passed the test and is built to last for years to come.”

Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur editor-in-chief, also acknowledged the challenges of last year but highlighted the unique opportunities it presented.

“Franchises were able to be nimble and innovative, serving the needs of franchisees and customers in ways that will resonate for many years to come,” he said. “We believe that, when we eventually look back on this time, we’ll see it as a moment when many brands defined themselves for the future.”

Key factors that go into the evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500® in ranking order.

With more than 830 franchises internationally, in 2020, Entrepreneur further recognized Express as a Top Global Franchise, a Top 100 Franchise to buy for less than $150,000 and one of the best franchise brands of the year. Staffing Industry Analysts added to the accolades by naming Express the tenth largest global staffing firm, the sixth-largest U.S. staffing firm, the sixth-largest U.S. office/clerical staffing firm and the second-largest U.S. industrial staffing firm.

“The Express family is growing and there’s even more opportunity for entrepreneurs to realize their business ownership dreams with us in 2021 on our way to put a million people to work annually,” Stoller said.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Karami-Hollander, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

About Bill Stoller
William H. “Bill” Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing company has more than 830 franchises in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Since inception, Express has put more than 8 million people to work worldwide.