More than 30 years after opening its first Canadian franchise in London, Ontario, Express Employment Professionals is doubling down on the province where its Canadian expansion first began. Today, the staffing leader has 22 locations across Ontario, but the opportunity is far from saturated. With 15 territories still available, Express believes the province offers exceptional long-term growth potential for franchise owners looking to become trusted workforce partners in their communities.
"Our original franchise in Canada was in London, Ontario," said Dan Gunderson, Senior Franchising Director. “It was a very successful location that spearheaded our efforts in Canada under franchise owner Chris Menard, who was a pivotal part of our success early on.”
That foundation has helped establish Express as one of the largest brick-and-mortar staffing companies in Ontario. Now, the company is looking to expand into markets including Markham, Newmarket, Milton, Georgetown, Woodstock, East Ottawa, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.
"We currently have 22 locations in Ontario, but we have 15 new territories available throughout the province," Gunderson said. "Ontario has become such an international hub and one of the leading manufacturing provinces. With what we do at Express and the province's diverse culture and economic progress, we're really excited about the opportunity."
Ontario's economic diversity is one of the primary reasons Express sees such significant franchise potential throughout the province. Rather than relying on a single dominant industry, Ontario supports a broad mix of manufacturing, transportation, distribution, professional services, healthcare and skilled trades, giving staffing companies opportunities across virtually every economic cycle.
"The biggest opportunity we see is the demand for skilled workers," Gunderson said. “There is such a need for skilled workers in manufacturing, distribution, transportation and other industries. Companies will continue using staffing services like Express to help them find people. We become an extension of their HR department. Recruiting is going to be huge moving forward because of the demand for people.”
That outlook aligns with what Express franchise owner Erica Melarangeli sees every day. “We have every industry here that we can support,” she said. “Ontario is known as one of the most resilient markets in all of North America. We have consistent demand for workforce solutions regardless of the economic cycle.”
She believes the hiring environment has become increasingly complex for employers, creating greater demand for staffing partners that understand the local market.
"We have an aging workforce, skilled labor gaps and challenging legislation," Melarangeli said. "Businesses are under increasing pressure to remain competitive, and they're having a really hard time finding the right talent. They need trusted workforce partners. We have a bigger engine than they do as an individual organization."
For Express, staffing goes well beyond filling open positions. Franchise owners work directly with local employers to solve workforce challenges, helping businesses recruit, retain and manage talent while supporting job seekers at every stage of their careers.
"Businesses want partners," Melarangeli said. “They're looking to us to help them navigate labor shortages and the pressures throughout their communities. AI will never replace the human edge that we have. We've been trained to conduct behavioral interviews and truly understand people. Because of the rapid speed of technology, we're actually more important than ever. Corporations are turning to the experts.”
That people-first philosophy is what attracted Melarangeli to Express long before she became a franchise owner herself. She joined the company in 2019 as a Corporate Developer in Ontario before purchasing her own office in 2024.
"I love this company," she said. “We are different, and we are an incredible organization. It's not just a slogan or a logo about being people-first. Everything else follows after that.”
Today, she continues serving both as a franchise owner and as a developer, helping new franchise owners build successful businesses while remaining deeply involved in their local communities.
While Ontario presents significant market opportunity, Express believes its franchise system is what allows entrepreneurs to capitalize on that demand. Rather than building an independent staffing company from scratch, franchise owners gain access to a refined operating model, established brand recognition, ongoing coaching and nearly 900 offices across North America willing to share best practices.
"The Express model is a proven system that works," Melarangeli said. “We have incredible brand awareness. Last year alone, more than 400,000 people found meaningful work through Express. You have a proven system with an incredible brand, incredible leadership and support that is constantly evolving. As an Express family, we don't have an office or an owner who won't extend a hand to help someone else. You have an incredible network within the Express family that's willing to do whatever it takes to keep us at the top.”
For entrepreneurs looking into franchise opportunities, that support can significantly reduce the challenges of entering the staffing industry independently.
"It eliminates a lot of the risk of building an independent staffing company from the ground up," Melarangeli said. "It's a proven business model that has continually been refined year after year."
For many Express franchise owners like Melarangeli, the greatest reward extends beyond financial success.
"The best part of being an Express owner is that you can walk in and write your own uncapped commission check every day," Melarangeli said. “We're driving impact, supporting the community and helping put food on the table. We're also helping nurture the future potential of people throughout the workforce. The impact is widespread. It's so much more than operating a staffing business. It's a holistic play that gives back 10-fold. We're contributing to our local markets at a much bigger pace.”
Express still sees plenty of room to grow in Ontario, where 15 territories remain available and employers across several industries continue to compete for skilled workers. That mix gives staffing firms a broad base of potential customers and sustained demand for workforce support.
"There is no reason to wait," Melarangeli said. “Once you take the leap, all the support you need to become successful is there. It's up to the individual to execute the simple playbook. The potential in Ontario has never been stronger.”
For more information on buying an Express Employment Professionals franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.
Express Employment Professionals
SPONSORED
Ontario’s broad employer base and ongoing demand for skilled workers give Express franchise owners room to build relationships across a wide range of industries.
More than 30 years after opening its first Canadian franchise in London, Ontario, Express Employment Professionals is doubling down on the province where its Canadian expansion first began. Today, the staffing leader has 22 locations across Ontario, but the opportunity is far from saturated. With 15 territories still available, Express believes the province offers exceptional long-term growth potential for franchise owners looking to become trusted workforce partners in their communities.
"Our original franchise in Canada was in London, Ontario," said Dan Gunderson, Senior Franchising Director. “It was a very successful location that spearheaded our efforts in Canada under franchise owner Chris Menard, who was a pivotal part of our success early on.”
That foundation has helped establish Express as one of the largest brick-and-mortar staffing companies in Ontario. Now, the company is looking to expand into markets including Markham, Newmarket, Milton, Georgetown, Woodstock, East Ottawa, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.
"We currently have 22 locations in Ontario, but we have 15 new territories available throughout the province," Gunderson said. "Ontario has become such an international hub and one of the leading manufacturing provinces. With what we do at Express and the province's diverse culture and economic progress, we're really excited about the opportunity."
Ontario's economic diversity is one of the primary reasons Express sees such significant franchise potential throughout the province. Rather than relying on a single dominant industry, Ontario supports a broad mix of manufacturing, transportation, distribution, professional services, healthcare and skilled trades, giving staffing companies opportunities across virtually every economic cycle.
"The biggest opportunity we see is the demand for skilled workers," Gunderson said. “There is such a need for skilled workers in manufacturing, distribution, transportation and other industries. Companies will continue using staffing services like Express to help them find people. We become an extension of their HR department. Recruiting is going to be huge moving forward because of the demand for people.”
That outlook aligns with what Express franchise owner Erica Melarangeli sees every day. “We have every industry here that we can support,” she said. “Ontario is known as one of the most resilient markets in all of North America. We have consistent demand for workforce solutions regardless of the economic cycle.”
She believes the hiring environment has become increasingly complex for employers, creating greater demand for staffing partners that understand the local market.
"We have an aging workforce, skilled labor gaps and challenging legislation," Melarangeli said. "Businesses are under increasing pressure to remain competitive, and they're having a really hard time finding the right talent. They need trusted workforce partners. We have a bigger engine than they do as an individual organization."
For Express, staffing goes well beyond filling open positions. Franchise owners work directly with local employers to solve workforce challenges, helping businesses recruit, retain and manage talent while supporting job seekers at every stage of their careers.
"Businesses want partners," Melarangeli said. “They're looking to us to help them navigate labor shortages and the pressures throughout their communities. AI will never replace the human edge that we have. We've been trained to conduct behavioral interviews and truly understand people. Because of the rapid speed of technology, we're actually more important than ever. Corporations are turning to the experts.”
That people-first philosophy is what attracted Melarangeli to Express long before she became a franchise owner herself. She joined the company in 2019 as a Corporate Developer in Ontario before purchasing her own office in 2024.
"I love this company," she said. “We are different, and we are an incredible organization. It's not just a slogan or a logo about being people-first. Everything else follows after that.”
Today, she continues serving both as a franchise owner and as a developer, helping new franchise owners build successful businesses while remaining deeply involved in their local communities.
While Ontario presents significant market opportunity, Express believes its franchise system is what allows entrepreneurs to capitalize on that demand. Rather than building an independent staffing company from scratch, franchise owners gain access to a refined operating model, established brand recognition, ongoing coaching and nearly 900 offices across North America willing to share best practices.
"The Express model is a proven system that works," Melarangeli said. “We have incredible brand awareness. Last year alone, more than 400,000 people found meaningful work through Express. You have a proven system with an incredible brand, incredible leadership and support that is constantly evolving. As an Express family, we don't have an office or an owner who won't extend a hand to help someone else. You have an incredible network within the Express family that's willing to do whatever it takes to keep us at the top.”
For entrepreneurs looking into franchise opportunities, that support can significantly reduce the challenges of entering the staffing industry independently.
"It eliminates a lot of the risk of building an independent staffing company from the ground up," Melarangeli said. "It's a proven business model that has continually been refined year after year."
For many Express franchise owners like Melarangeli, the greatest reward extends beyond financial success.
"The best part of being an Express owner is that you can walk in and write your own uncapped commission check every day," Melarangeli said. “We're driving impact, supporting the community and helping put food on the table. We're also helping nurture the future potential of people throughout the workforce. The impact is widespread. It's so much more than operating a staffing business. It's a holistic play that gives back 10-fold. We're contributing to our local markets at a much bigger pace.”
Express still sees plenty of room to grow in Ontario, where 15 territories remain available and employers across several industries continue to compete for skilled workers. That mix gives staffing firms a broad base of potential customers and sustained demand for workforce support.
"There is no reason to wait," Melarangeli said. “Once you take the leap, all the support you need to become successful is there. It's up to the individual to execute the simple playbook. The potential in Ontario has never been stronger.”
For more information on buying an Express Employment Professionals franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.
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