Ronnie and Susan Morris know what it takes to build a thriving business. As former employees of The Coca-Cola Company, the couple spent years working in corporate roles before deciding to take control of their professional future. In 2010, after attending an Express Employment Professionals event in San Diego, California, they made the decision to leave behind the corporate world and open their first Express office in Jackson, Tennessee.
"We talked for a long time about how great it would be to be in our own business,” said Ronnie. “I had a young son at the time, and I was doing a lot of traveling — I wasn’t able to go to functions, baseball practice — that kind of thing. The thought of having more flexibility and controlling our own destiny really motivated us to make the change.”
Since then, the Morrises have expanded significantly. They now operate eight offices across Tennessee, including locations in Lexington, Paris, Henderson, Brownsville, Jackson, Humboldt and Dyersburg.
One of the most significant moments in their business growth was the acquisition of the Dyersburg office almost four years ago. "The Dyersburg territory bordered ours, and we kept having clients call us saying, ‘Hey, we want to work with you. We know you,’” said Susan. “These were clients we already worked with in Jackson, but within Express, we have protected territories. So we started meeting with the owner, and when they decided to sell, it was an obvious decision for us to buy and combine the territories.”
The previous owner had been successful in other territories but struggled to make Dyersburg profitable. Seeing the opportunity, the Morrises negotiated the purchase, integrated the office into their operations and focused on growth. Since taking over, they have increased the office's weekly hours worked by associates from 2,000 to nearly 12,000.
"We’re all about growing the business; we don’t just sit back and let it run on autopilot,” said Ronnie. “We aggressively work to be number one in every territory we operate in.”
The Morrises' commitment to growth and community involvement has not gone unnoticed. In 2024, they were named Express Franchisees of the Year, and in 2025, they were honored with the prestigious International Franchise Association (IFA) Franchisees of the Year award.
"It’s a tremendous honor to be named Franchisees of the Year for Express, especially knowing how many great franchise owners have been in the business longer than we have,” said Ronnie. “We’re very honored and humbled by it. I think what helped us earn this recognition is not only our growth every single year but also our commitment to being strong community partners.”
Their success is rooted in their ability to run a profitable business while making a meaningful impact on their community. Over the years, they have spearheaded several charitable initiatives, including Black Tie Boxing — a fundraising event that has raised over $1 million for local causes — and an annual Christmas program for underserved children in Jackson. The franchise owners also spend time helping other Express owners in the network build their businesses through teaching opportunities.
“Anytime corporate reaches out to us for training or assisting, we're more than willing,” said Susan. “This year, for example, we’re speaking on panels, sharing what we’ve learned. We want all of our franchise owners to be successful.”
With multiple locations under their leadership, the Morrises have developed a strong company culture that ensures consistency and high performance across all their offices. Their approach includes setting clear goals and investing in a team of motivated self-starters.
"Maintaining a strong culture across multiple offices isn’t easy, but it starts with putting the right people in place — self-starters who are motivated to achieve,” said Ronnie. “We celebrate wins, no matter how big or small, and focus on continuous improvement. It’s not about good or bad days; it’s about whether we’re getting better over time.”
Additionally, they emphasize the importance of being engaged in daily operations. Unlike some franchise models where owners can take a hands-off approach, they believe Express requires active involvement to succeed.
"We set the culture early in all of our offices so that everyone knows what’s expected, whether we’re physically in that branch or not,” said Susan. “We follow the Express process and don’t deviate from it. Hands-on ownership is crucial because it allows us to address issues quickly, maintain transparency and ensure our team always knows where we stand in the business.”
The Morrises are far from complacent. As they look to the future, they remain focused on continued growth. Their primary goal is to maintain and exceed their current performance levels, ensuring that each of their offices continues to thrive.
"We always want to be in the lead — we don’t want to go backward,” said Ronnie. “We’re all about growth, staying engaged, challenging our team and getting better every year.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.
Express Employment Professionals
SPONSORED
By acquiring and revitalizing an underperforming territory, this Express Employment Professionals franchise expanded its reach, boosted performance and earned top industry recognition.
Ronnie and Susan Morris know what it takes to build a thriving business. As former employees of The Coca-Cola Company, the couple spent years working in corporate roles before deciding to take control of their professional future. In 2010, after attending an Express Employment Professionals event in San Diego, California, they made the decision to leave behind the corporate world and open their first Express office in Jackson, Tennessee.
"We talked for a long time about how great it would be to be in our own business,” said Ronnie. “I had a young son at the time, and I was doing a lot of traveling — I wasn’t able to go to functions, baseball practice — that kind of thing. The thought of having more flexibility and controlling our own destiny really motivated us to make the change.”
Since then, the Morrises have expanded significantly. They now operate eight offices across Tennessee, including locations in Lexington, Paris, Henderson, Brownsville, Jackson, Humboldt and Dyersburg.
One of the most significant moments in their business growth was the acquisition of the Dyersburg office almost four years ago. "The Dyersburg territory bordered ours, and we kept having clients call us saying, ‘Hey, we want to work with you. We know you,’” said Susan. “These were clients we already worked with in Jackson, but within Express, we have protected territories. So we started meeting with the owner, and when they decided to sell, it was an obvious decision for us to buy and combine the territories.”
The previous owner had been successful in other territories but struggled to make Dyersburg profitable. Seeing the opportunity, the Morrises negotiated the purchase, integrated the office into their operations and focused on growth. Since taking over, they have increased the office's weekly hours worked by associates from 2,000 to nearly 12,000.
"We’re all about growing the business; we don’t just sit back and let it run on autopilot,” said Ronnie. “We aggressively work to be number one in every territory we operate in.”
The Morrises' commitment to growth and community involvement has not gone unnoticed. In 2024, they were named Express Franchisees of the Year, and in 2025, they were honored with the prestigious International Franchise Association (IFA) Franchisees of the Year award.
"It’s a tremendous honor to be named Franchisees of the Year for Express, especially knowing how many great franchise owners have been in the business longer than we have,” said Ronnie. “We’re very honored and humbled by it. I think what helped us earn this recognition is not only our growth every single year but also our commitment to being strong community partners.”
Their success is rooted in their ability to run a profitable business while making a meaningful impact on their community. Over the years, they have spearheaded several charitable initiatives, including Black Tie Boxing — a fundraising event that has raised over $1 million for local causes — and an annual Christmas program for underserved children in Jackson. The franchise owners also spend time helping other Express owners in the network build their businesses through teaching opportunities.
“Anytime corporate reaches out to us for training or assisting, we're more than willing,” said Susan. “This year, for example, we’re speaking on panels, sharing what we’ve learned. We want all of our franchise owners to be successful.”
With multiple locations under their leadership, the Morrises have developed a strong company culture that ensures consistency and high performance across all their offices. Their approach includes setting clear goals and investing in a team of motivated self-starters.
"Maintaining a strong culture across multiple offices isn’t easy, but it starts with putting the right people in place — self-starters who are motivated to achieve,” said Ronnie. “We celebrate wins, no matter how big or small, and focus on continuous improvement. It’s not about good or bad days; it’s about whether we’re getting better over time.”
Additionally, they emphasize the importance of being engaged in daily operations. Unlike some franchise models where owners can take a hands-off approach, they believe Express requires active involvement to succeed.
"We set the culture early in all of our offices so that everyone knows what’s expected, whether we’re physically in that branch or not,” said Susan. “We follow the Express process and don’t deviate from it. Hands-on ownership is crucial because it allows us to address issues quickly, maintain transparency and ensure our team always knows where we stand in the business.”
The Morrises are far from complacent. As they look to the future, they remain focused on continued growth. Their primary goal is to maintain and exceed their current performance levels, ensuring that each of their offices continues to thrive.
"We always want to be in the lead — we don’t want to go backward,” said Ronnie. “We’re all about growth, staying engaged, challenging our team and getting better every year.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.
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