Express Employment Professionals

When&nbsp;<a href="https://expressfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-express-employment-professionals-established-itself-as-one-of-the-most-sought-after-franchise-opportunities-in-the-recession-resistant-staffing-industry-2721292" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Express&nbsp;</a>was founded in 1983, the idea was to master the business of people. The full service staffing franchise works with job seekers to help them find the right job for their skills and experience, whether that’s a full-time, part-time or temporary position. Now, with an eye-catching AUV of over $6 million and the staffing industry worth&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.staffingindustry.com/site/Editorial/Daily-News/US-staffing-revenue-to-reach-record-212.8-billion-this-year-SIA-62984?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-express-employment-professionals-established-itself-as-one-of-the-most-sought-after-franchise-opportunities-in-the-recession-resistant-staffing-industry-2721292" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$212.8 billion</a>, Express is proving that finding the right people means big business and after perfecting its business model over the past 40 years, the brand is a top choice for savvy entrepreneurs looking to claim their piece of the pie.The company currently has 865 franchises open in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. With over 100 available new territories in North America, Express is looking for driven, passionate franchisees to support as it looks towards its next milestone of hitting 5.5 billion in sales by 2025.&nbsp;“The demand for staffing is at an all time high,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-gunderson-17323618/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-express-employment-professionals-established-itself-as-one-of-the-most-sought-after-franchise-opportunities-in-the-recession-resistant-staffing-industry-2721292" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dan Gunderson</a>, Senior Franchising Director. “What we do for our client companies is more advanced than it ever has been. In our industry, businesses really look to us as an extension of their HR department. They look to us as their hiring partner. They can remain flexible and not have to commit to a full time employee if there's uncertainty in the economy and if they want to hire permanent employees from the temporary pool then they can choose to do that.”The History of Express Employment ProfessionalsExpress has always been guided by a simple vision: help as many people as possible find good jobs by helping as many clients as possible find good people. The company was formed in 1983, but the journey was decades in the making, marked by a passion to help people build better lives for themselves and their families, while helping communities grow and prosper.Shortly after the end of World War II, an accountant named David L. Reiff moved from Chicago to Spokane, Washington, looking for a more hospitable location to open his bookkeeping business. The office he found was located in the same building as a small employment agency that was struggling to stay afloat. In 1951, Reiff decided to sell his accounting firm and buy the staffing company and renamed it Acme Personnel Services. His son, Bill, joined him at the business and it soon began to flourish.&nbsp;During the early 1960s, Acme began expanding to include several offices throughout Washington and the brand brought on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-funk-sr-516457179/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-express-employment-professionals-established-itself-as-one-of-the-most-sought-after-franchise-opportunities-in-the-recession-resistant-staffing-industry-2721292" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Robert A. Funk</a> as a Staffing Consultant to help match job applicants with job orders. In 1969, Acme acquired another staffing office in Oklahoma City and Funk was offered the opportunity to manage the new territory. Shortly after, he opened four new offices in Oklahoma and was promoted to Vice President and oversaw offices in Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota, Arkansas and Colorado.&nbsp;Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-stoller-463612b/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-express-employment-professionals-established-itself-as-one-of-the-most-sought-after-franchise-opportunities-in-the-recession-resistant-staffing-industry-2721292" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">William H. Stoller</a>, a college basketball player at Pacific University in Oregon, joined the Acme team as a part-time Staffing Consultant in 1973. In a short amount of time, Stoller out-produced all other offices in the area and was promoted to District Manager.&nbsp;In the 1980s, a recession made existing financial woes at Acme worse at the corporate level and cracks began to form. Despite efforts to keep the business solvent, Acme declared bankruptcy in 1983 and offices closed abruptly, leaving employees to determine their next steps. Funk, who was adamant on keeping his offices operational, contacted Stoller to inquire about forming a new temporary employment services company. The pair then contacted Acme franchisee Jim Gray and asked him to join them due to his experience in back office operations.&nbsp;The three men came together to become the founders of Express Temporary Services with eight offices in Oklahoma, Oregon and Colorado. Though the brand came to be during a national economic downturn, Express managed to generate gross revenues of $2 million. The founders determined that the best way to keep growing was through franchising — and the rest is history.&nbsp;“We really caught the momentum of the temporary contract side of staffing in the early 80s,” said Gunderson. “That's when it really started and so it was really good timing for us in the industry. Forty years later, it's been an incredible run.”&nbsp;The brand has grown exponentially since its beginnings, eventually changing its name to Express Employment Professionals in 2008. The franchise now has a whopping 865 locations open, broke an all time high of half a million associates paid annually and operates in five&nbsp; countries.&nbsp;Express Franchise Owners Benefit from Back Office-Support, Payroll Funding and MoreExpress offices are 100% locally owned and operated, and franchise owners tend to stick around for a long time. In fact, Express franchise owners have an average length of franchise ownership of 17 years — with some being owners for up to 30 years.&nbsp;Notably, franchise owners will benefit from the brand's low overhead and investment level. Because Express owners do not need to purchase a significant amount of supplies or equipment to start up their office, they can save on investment costs. Even more impressively, the brand’s AUV rings in at over $6 million. For territories open more than 24 months, average sales in 2021 were $6,119,487, while first-year offices averaged $900,049, according to Item 19 in the brand’s FDD.*&nbsp;Express also gives franchise owners everything they need to be successful. This includes franchisee Help Desk support from the Oklahoma City HQ, monthly regional meetings with other owners to help discover best practices, leadership conferences available for staff to attend to further their development, annual conferences, monthly in-person meetings, strategic development and problem-solving and more.&nbsp;“The staffing world is really all about sales and recruiting — and that's what our franchisees, as well as their teams, should be focusing their energy on,” said Gunderson. “We don't want them worried about the back office distractions. So we really allow them to focus by taking everything else off their plate.”&nbsp; &nbsp;One of the most unique ways the company sets franchise owners up for success is by handling payroll funding. Express processes invoices and other important paperwork for clients, allowing franchisees to do what they do best and spend their time building relationships with local businesses in their community.&nbsp;“It's a weekly payroll process Monday through Sunday on the temporary contract side,” explained Gunderson. “They don't have to go to a bank, they don't have to go to a factoring company to pay those weekly temporary associates. We fund that for them every week, no matter how big they get. We take care of all the W2s, payroll tax reporting and unemployment administration. Because, even though they're working with their Express associates, we are still the employer of record for the temporary employees because we handle all the liability.”The franchise also provides owners with all the sales and marketing tools they will need, such as help with campaigns, materials and collateral, digital marketing and social media, all of which they refer to as a neighborhood marketing approach.&nbsp;When it comes to opening, franchisees can expect a great deal of training. “Most of our franchisees do not have any staffing or HR background when they enter our system,” said Gunderson. “So they have to learn the staffing industry. It's three weeks of training for new owners, which we do once a month. Two of those weeks are virtual, and then we fly them out to our headquarters in Oklahoma City on the third week. We pay for airfare and accommodation and help the owner hire their first recruiter.”&nbsp;Franchise owners also have a local support person in their area called a developer who is a regionally based coach and mentor. “It’s someone they can lean on that is not their boss. They’re just a trusted adviser who really knows the staffing industry and knows the Express system that they can rely on to help them in the business.”&nbsp;Why Now Is the Time to Explore Express&nbsp;No matter the state of the economy, people need to work. Express is a full service staffing company and can staff businesses in a variety of industries from front to back, from receptionists to warehouse workers to executives.A record number of job openings and an improved supply of candidates have led the staffing industry on an upward trend. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.staffingindustry.com/site/Editorial/Daily-News/US-staffing-revenue-to-reach-record-212.8-billion-this-year-SIA-62984?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-express-employment-professionals-established-itself-as-one-of-the-most-sought-after-franchise-opportunities-in-the-recession-resistant-staffing-industry-2721292" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">2022</a>, SIA predicted the market would grow an impressive 14% that year to reach a record of $212.8 billion. And the Express team gives franchisees everything they need to succeed in the industry.&nbsp;With a goal of putting a million people to work each year, Express is looking to partner with franchisees in markets around the world and&nbsp;has strong territories that are available.&nbsp;And with no prior experience needed, entrepreneurs from all backgrounds have the opportunity to tap into this booming industry.&nbsp;Express franchise owners do not need a background in staffing. About 95% of owners have no previous staffing experience. Franchise owners at Express can be successful if they are ready to lead a team, willing to make sales calls and have a strong passion for helping others find success. Whether that’s a small business owner who doesn’t know how to move forward with finding employees, or it's someone who just got laid off and doesn’t know where to turn, Express franchise owners are there to serve. Owners should also possess clear communication, motivation, extroverted personalities and be comfortable making cold calls and building relationships.&nbsp;“We look for people who want to make a difference in their community,” said Gunderson. “We want to help people find jobs and help companies find people. We're looking for owners who are going to be involved and not be distracted by other businesses—we're looking for a fully involved owner, not a semi absentee.”Looking ahead, Express plans to reach its goal of having 900 locations in the near future and hit $5.5 billion in sales by 2025.&nbsp;The initial investment ranges from $100,000 to $220,000 to open an Express single traditional model, with a franchise fee of $40,000. For more information on franchising with Express, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://expressfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-express-employment-professionals-established-itself-as-one-of-the-most-sought-after-franchise-opportunities-in-the-recession-resistant-staffing-industry-2721292" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://expressfranchising.com/.</a>&nbsp;*To see the brand’s full financials, please reference the 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document.

Express Employment Professionals Established Itself as One of the Most Sought After Franchises

Express Employment Professionals Established Itself as One of the Most Sought After Franchise Opportunities 

1851 Franchise

As the company eyes crossing the 900 unit mark, the full service staffing franchise is looking for franchisees with a strong passion for helping others.

This brand page has been paid for by EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

How Express Employment Professionals Established Itself as One of the Most Sought After Franchise Opportunities in the Recession-Resistant Staffing Industry 

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Express Employment Professionals Adds 38 New Owners in Growth Year

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Express Employment Professionals Targets Kentucky for Franchise Development, With Demand From Production and Logistics Boom

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<a href="https://expressfranchising.com/">Express Employment Professionals</a> is targeting Kentucky for franchise development, giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to bring staffing solutions to their local market. Leading the charge is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-winnenberg-msm-b3a5796a/">Nick Winnenberg,</a> an&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info">Express</a> developer who sees plenty of room for growth in the state.“Kentucky is very manufacturing driven with some good logistics support depending on where you are in the area,” said Winnenberg, who also represents 22 offices in southern Ohio. “It's a good mixture of urban metros mixed with rural manufacturing and distribution hubs. My favorite thing about Kentucky is that they're very automotive adjacent. Luckily, right now it looks like we’re in a good era in that industry. I expect a lot of potential upside in the next five to 10 years from that.”Kentucky is home to&nbsp;<a href="https://newkentuckyhome.ky.gov/Newsroom/NewsPage/20231003_Manufacturing_Month">3,000-plus</a> manufacturing companies, and manufacturing makes up&nbsp;<a href="https://kam.us.com/10406/kentucky-ranks-fifth-in-manufacturing-as-percentage-of-gdp/">13.4% of the state’s GDP</a>. It is also the&nbsp;<a href="https://newkentuckyhome.ky.gov/existing_industries/Automotive?utm_source=chatgpt.com">number one producer</a> of cars, light trucks and SUVs per capita, with around&nbsp;<a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/all-employees-durable-goods-motor-vehicle-manufacturing-in-kentucky-fed-data.html">24,000 workers</a> being directly employed in motor vehicle manufacturing alone. New businesses are entering the market, and pre-existing businesses that were slower in 2024 and 2025 due to automotive shutdowns are quickly picking back up.In general, Kentucky consistently ranks among the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.areadevelopment.com/Top-States-for-Doing-Business/q3-2025/2025s-top-states-for-business.shtml">top states for business</a>, reinforcing it as a great place to open an Express franchise. And the state is wide open with plenty of opportunity to be successful, no matter where you are.“All the territories that are currently open have the ability to be very good territories, reach the goals, and can be built into some very major operations,” Winnenberg said. “There are some offices that will be better for the owner who is looking for more office services, and there are others that are more manufacturing or logistics heavy, depending on what the owner wants out of that market. Regardless, we see a lot of success with people who want to be involved with their community and create a legacy long term.”<h2>Supporting New Owners in Kentucky</h2>Like all Express franchise owners, Kentucky owners can expect a lot of support from the corporate office. Starting with discovery day, franchise owners will learn a wealth of information about staffing before experiencing a two-week training on how to open their office, operate a P&amp;L and how to train and engage staff members.“As the developer, I will be on site with you for a couple of weeks just to make sure that if any emergencies arise, you have someone who's done it before and can walk you through it,” Winnenberg said. “And then it's going to be regular development through a<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/express-fast-track-incentive-franchise-owners-2731847"> Fast Track</a> program that includes weekly coaching, and that typically lasts anywhere between six months and two years.”Express is looking for owners who are actively engaged in their local markets or willing to become so. This is not a passive opportunity and franchise owners should be involved in the day-to-day operations, especially in the early days. They should want to make a positive impact on their Kentucky community.“I can train you how to staff, but I can’t train you to want success,” Winnenberg said.<h2>Why Express in Kentucky, Why Now</h2>Express is in a unique situation where the market is shifting to an employer market, versus the employee market we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand for employees is starting to shift.“There is a lot of opportunity for both the right number of job seekers and the right number of jobs,” Winnenberg said. “For the first time in over a decade, there's a balance there, and with that balance, we typically win. It doesn't feel like we have too many associates. It doesn't feel like we have too many jobs or vice versa. It's a good, healthy balance, and I see that continuing for at least the next five to 10 years.”In addition to the major production and logistics boom, these factors make now an ideal time to own an Express franchise in the Bluegrass State. With plenty of room for development, prospective owners in Kentucky should feel confident making the leap into franchise ownership with Express Employment Professionals.&nbsp;For more information on buying an Express Employment Professionals franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.">https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.</a>&nbsp;

Express Employment Professionals Targets Kentucky for Franchise Development

The franchise sees major opportunity in the Bluegrass State due to a combination of white space, demand from manufacturing and automotive companies, and an employer-driven market.

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Express Employment Professionals' Fast Track Incentive Gives New Franchisees the Chance to Earn Back Their Franchise Fee

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Express Employment Professionals - End of Year Wrap 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Express Employment Professionals Celebrates a Year of Growth, Adding 38 New Owners to Its System 

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Express Employment Eyes Palm Springs as a Hot Market for Franchise Growth

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<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-sulentic-300187171">Greg</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-sulentic-rn-bsn-151728176/">Laura Sulentic</a> of Lincoln, Nebraska, were named as&nbsp;<a href="https://expressfranchising.com/">Express Employment Professionals’</a> 2026 Franchisees of the Year. The husband‑and‑wife team purchased their franchise in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but their history with the franchise and staffing goes back even further.&nbsp;“I've been with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info">Express</a> for 20 years and I’ve been in the industry for over 30 years,” Greg said. “When I came into Express, I came in as a regional developer working in what is our Rocky Mountain region from Edmonton, Canada down to New Mexico, helping franchises to get open and supporting existing franchises to grow their business.”Greg held that same role when he and Laura moved to the central United States to support offices in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa. He still holds that developer role today. During that time frame, the opportunity to purchase a franchise of their own came about.&nbsp;“It was an interesting time to place our bets and get into the franchise full-time,” Greg said.&nbsp;Although the pandemic posed unique challenges, the couple still found success. Their “go together” philosophy not only fuels their own accomplishment, but those of the franchisees they mentor.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Overcoming Challenges by Focusing on People</h2>One of the biggest obstacles the Sulentics faced was not being able to bring anyone into their or their clients’ offices during the pandemic.“On top of that, I was a person who was used to going out to companies, to clients, meeting with people in person,” Greg said. “That was how we always drove business and suddenly that stopped, you couldn't do that anymore.”However, they turned that around as the pandemic eased and the franchisees saw a huge opportunity to grow their staffing business. With offices reopening, they saw that creating a more welcoming environment for candidates would be key to attracting talent, especially in an industry that often had a reputation for treating workers like part of a system rather than individuals. The Sulentics moved quickly to transform their spaces, replacing the cold, plexiglass-filled setup with a warmer, more inviting office where people would want to spend time.“That's really when we started to take off in this office,” Greg said. “There was that dark point where you thought ‘we’re going to lose all our business, we're going to lose all our candidates.’ But after that period, we very quickly hit a boom phase because companies had to come back. And they needed staff to do it.”The franchisees’ connection to the Lincoln community also plays a huge role in their success. The Sulentics live in Lincoln, and their team is made up of local Lincoln residents. They want to create an environment where everyone they work with feels like a part of their team, not just their internal team.&nbsp;“We’re very connected to this community,” Greg said. “We’re all Husker fans. We have a bunch of season tickets and we bring our clients to that, and that's a big part of the local community. We get involved with charities and nonprofits that we feel will be connected to our associate pool, as well.”<h2>Support From Express Corporate</h2>The Sulentics credit support from the team at Express Employment International&nbsp; as a champion of their success. Areas like legal, human resources, marketing and recruiting became much easier with the support of the team, especially in the early days with so much uncertainty during the pandemic.&nbsp;“We couldn't have functioned in that environment without Express headquarters,” Greg said. “They always kept us updated on navigating the unique laws at the time. They really helped us stay focused on what was important with our business and they took care of all that. They were communicating that back to us in this really great way. You didn't feel like you were alone.”&nbsp;<h2>Why the Sulentics Stood Out as Franchisees of the Year</h2>Greg believes their success and recent recognition came from continuing to focus on creating a strong, people-first experience for their associates and building meaningful relationships with them. Those associates ultimately become the brand’s best salespeople.“Our clients look at those folks and they ask them questions about us,” he said. “They see how good our people are. They compare us to our competitors and all that gives them this very favorable understanding of who Express is in the Lincoln market, who our team is. That helps us grow.”He also noted that his internal team has very little turnover. Something Greg says has to do with the fact that they feel tied to the mission of creating a great experience for the associates and getting them to work.&nbsp;“We have hundreds and hundreds of associates&nbsp;working for us right now, and our internal team that's responsible for putting those people to work really feels connected to that group and that group then feels connected to them,” he said. “That creates less turnover in our office and allows us to provide this really special service all around, and our clients and our associates love it.”For more information on buying an Express Employment Professionals franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment">https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment</a>.

Creating a welcoming environment for employees and clients even during challenging times like the pandemic is what sets Greg and Laura Sulentic apart, earning them the recognition they deserve.

Express Employment Professionals Franchisees of the Year Celebrated for their People-First Approach

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How Express Employment Professionals Established Itself as One of the Most Sought After Franchise Opportunities in the Recession-Resistant Staffing Industry

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