When Stephen Shields bought an Express Employment Professionals office in Joplin, Missouri, in October 1999, he knew the state well. The staffing business was another matter.
Shields grew up in central Missouri and graduated from Missouri State University with a marketing degree. He spent the next four and a half years in multifamily property management, where he learned to lead teams and solve problems. Then he moved to Joplin to buy an existing Express office, entering a new industry and a community where he had few established connections.
More than 25 years later, Shields is still with Express and now brings a developer's perspective to the opportunities available across Missouri. Looking back, he sees his early effort to understand Joplin as an important part of establishing the business.
"I think understanding who the players were, understanding who the people were who could help me — and there were several of those folks that I got to know — so I think getting to make yourself part of the community was huge for me in those early days," Shields said. "Every Express market is going to have different hiring opportunities andthere's going to be variations in what their challenges are."
Those differences can include the industries that drive local hiring and the availability of workers with the skills employers need. Shields said skilled labor has become particularly difficult to find as baby boomers retire, leaving companies searching for ways to fill critical positions.
For Express, Missouri offers a broad base of potential customers rather than an economy concentrated in one sector. Bill Thompson, senior franchising director for Express, pointed to several specific industries that align with the company's staffing model. He also cited the state's relatively affordable operating environment and favorable business tax climate as advantages for business owners.
"Missouri's economy is not heavily dependent on a single industry," Thompson said. "There are several strong sectors in Missouri, but the ones that would appeal mostly to us with Express' core model that are very prevalent in Missouri are manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, financial services and logistics and transportation."
Shields has also found that Missouri employers tend to understand how staffing companies fit into their hiring strategies. That familiarity can make it easier for an Express office to begin conversations with businesses about their workforce needs. He said many employers are also willing to train people who arrive with the right attitude, even when those workers need to develop additional skills.
That emphasis on people has shaped Shields' view of who can succeed with the brand. His own career demonstrates that previous staffing experience isn't necessarily required. He sees relationship-building, sales ability and a willingness to become involved in the community as more important starting points.
"I think as long as you're authentic and you go out and you say, 'This is what I know. Here's what I don't know. If I don't know the answers, I'm going to find answers for you. I'm not going to pretend I have them,'" Shields said. "I think a staffing background isn't necessarily a must in order to be successful."
Thompson sees a similar appeal for professionals leaving corporate careers who want to own a business with a direct connection to their communities.
"You're helping people provide for their families. You're helping local businesses find good-quality people. You're really benefiting the community," Thompson said. "The people that we typically attract are from mid-level corporate America, sometimes upper-level corporate America, but they want to do something on their own and they want to make a difference."
For Shields, that opportunity has kept him with Express for more than two decades. What began with a move across Missouri to take over a Joplin office has grown into a career that gives him a wider view of the brand's potential across his home state and the qualities that can help the next generation of franchise owners build successful businesses there.
For more information on buying an Express Employment Professionals franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment.
Express Employment Professionals
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After more than 25 years in Joplin, Shields says local relationships, a diverse economy, and steady employer demand have shaped his long-term success.
When Stephen Shields bought an Express Employment Professionals office in Joplin, Missouri, in October 1999, he knew the state well. The staffing business was another matter.
Shields grew up in central Missouri and graduated from Missouri State University with a marketing degree. He spent the next four and a half years in multifamily property management, where he learned to lead teams and solve problems. Then he moved to Joplin to buy an existing Express office, entering a new industry and a community where he had few established connections.
More than 25 years later, Shields is still with Express and now brings a developer's perspective to the opportunities available across Missouri. Looking back, he sees his early effort to understand Joplin as an important part of establishing the business.
"I think understanding who the players were, understanding who the people were who could help me — and there were several of those folks that I got to know — so I think getting to make yourself part of the community was huge for me in those early days," Shields said. "Every Express market is going to have different hiring opportunities andthere's going to be variations in what their challenges are."
Those differences can include the industries that drive local hiring and the availability of workers with the skills employers need. Shields said skilled labor has become particularly difficult to find as baby boomers retire, leaving companies searching for ways to fill critical positions.
For Express, Missouri offers a broad base of potential customers rather than an economy concentrated in one sector. Bill Thompson, senior franchising director for Express, pointed to several specific industries that align with the company's staffing model. He also cited the state's relatively affordable operating environment and favorable business tax climate as advantages for business owners.
"Missouri's economy is not heavily dependent on a single industry," Thompson said. "There are several strong sectors in Missouri, but the ones that would appeal mostly to us with Express' core model that are very prevalent in Missouri are manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, financial services and logistics and transportation."
Shields has also found that Missouri employers tend to understand how staffing companies fit into their hiring strategies. That familiarity can make it easier for an Express office to begin conversations with businesses about their workforce needs. He said many employers are also willing to train people who arrive with the right attitude, even when those workers need to develop additional skills.
That emphasis on people has shaped Shields' view of who can succeed with the brand. His own career demonstrates that previous staffing experience isn't necessarily required. He sees relationship-building, sales ability and a willingness to become involved in the community as more important starting points.
"I think as long as you're authentic and you go out and you say, 'This is what I know. Here's what I don't know. If I don't know the answers, I'm going to find answers for you. I'm not going to pretend I have them,'" Shields said. "I think a staffing background isn't necessarily a must in order to be successful."
Thompson sees a similar appeal for professionals leaving corporate careers who want to own a business with a direct connection to their communities.
"You're helping people provide for their families. You're helping local businesses find good-quality people. You're really benefiting the community," Thompson said. "The people that we typically attract are from mid-level corporate America, sometimes upper-level corporate America, but they want to do something on their own and they want to make a difference."
For Shields, that opportunity has kept him with Express for more than two decades. What began with a move across Missouri to take over a Joplin office has grown into a career that gives him a wider view of the brand's potential across his home state and the qualities that can help the next generation of franchise owners build successful businesses there.
For more information on buying an Express Employment Professionals franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment.
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