Express Employment Professionals

When&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharykraehmer/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=zak-kraehmer-express-employment-franchise-lancaster-pa-2731295" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Zak</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-kraehmer-27040118a/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=zak-kraehmer-express-employment-franchise-lancaster-pa-2731295" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nicole Kraehmer</a> opened an&nbsp;<a href="https://expressfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=zak-kraehmer-express-employment-franchise-lancaster-pa-2731295" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Express Employment Professionals</a> franchise in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in August 2019, staffing wasn’t the plan. But owning a business was.Zak had considered entering Nicole’s family business but wanted something different. The opportunity for “different” arrived through a friend who owned an&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info">Express</a> office in upstate New York. Meetings with leadership and other franchise owners sealed the deal quickly.“We were immediately hooked on the feeling of the brand and the franchise as a whole,” Zak said. “It really felt like family.”With that, the Kraehmers sold their home, packed up their lives with two young children and moved three and a half hours south to open their new office. “It was a huge decision,” Zak said. “But really, it was the brand. The way they treated us and the systems they had in place made us feel comfortable that this was something we could be successful in.”<h2>Learning the Ropes</h2>Zak came to franchising following stints in financial services and his father-in-law’s insurance agency. He also brought prior franchising experience from the operation of a youth sports franchise territory. Most importantly, he and his wife possessed years of customer-facing work in food service, experience Zak recalls as surprisingly relevant.“Customer service, urgency, hard work and understanding what it takes each day to move the ball forward are critical. Taking care of clients, associates and candidates — that’s the intangible part,” Zak said. “Any significant customer-facing role helps prepare you. Whether it’s food service, banking or financial services, there’s a sense of pace and urgency. You learn to work for what you get. You learn how to build relationships. That goes a long way.”From the start, the Kraehmers ran the franchise as a true partnership. Zak focused on outside sales, while Nicole managed recruiting, payroll and inside operations. Their shared goals and clear division of responsibilities allowed them to scale quickly and maintain balance, especially in the early, pressure-filled months of the new business.Early challenges can be steep. With no clients or associates, momentum was everything. And the couple’s collective work ethic helped enable early success.“We grew very quickly from nothing,” Zak said. “Looking back, we had no choice. We had two young kids and a limited amount of money in the bank. That sense of urgency drove everything.”<h2>Thick Skin and Relentless Work</h2>The emotional swings of staffing were an early surprise. But Zak quickly found a solution through that work ethic.“Sell, sell, sell,” Zak said. “The work you do this week won’t show up immediately. You can have a bad day, but not a bad week. Every day matters.”Growing a franchise quickly isn’t common. It’s difficult. And scaling his business early taught Zak the importance of hiring the right internal team and the skills worth prioritizing. But some skills can’t be taught.“Even though we’re a staffing company, it’s hard to find the right internal people,” he said. “It’s skill, hill or will. I can teach skill. We can get over a hill together. But I can’t give someone the will to work. Having the right people in the right place at the right time is everything.”<h2>Showing Up Matters</h2>In a crowded market, the Kraehmers’ Lancaster office stands out through hands-on ownership. But those early days in franchising taught him the value of another important skill: communication. “I heard over and over that staffing companies didn’t communicate,” Zak said. “So we overcommunicate. Whether it’s good news or bad news,we communicate.”Involvement within his local community has also played a significant role in Kraehmer’s early Express success. From visiting clients to coaching youth sports, strengthening relationships at the local level has paid significant dividends as the couple has successfully scaled their business in South Central Pennsylvania. That local focus has helped develop bonds that continue to impact the couple’s approach even several years in.“On the client side, we built a deep partnership with one longtime client in particular. Even when their corporate office introduced another staffing company, that client chose to stick with us. We’re invited to lunches and grand openings. It just goes beyond business,” Zak said. “We treat people like people, not numbers.”<h2>Looking Ahead</h2>Today, Zak tracks revenue, placements and activity, balancing quantity and quality, remaining grounded. And, looking forward, he hopes for growth that’s both steady and focused on people.&nbsp;“It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it business. It’s stressful. But it’s also incredibly rewarding. If you focus on people and follow the system, growth follows,” Zak said. “If you’re not a people person, you won’t enjoy this. This isn’t a sit-behind-your-desk job. You have to be active, involved and present.”For Zak and Nicole, success isn’t just measured in placements or revenue. It’s built on the relationships they’ve strengthened and the community they’ve helped grow. Because at the end of the day, growing a business is all about people, persistence and partnership.About Express Employment ProfessionalsAt Express Employment Professionals, we're in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing more than 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressFranchising.com.For prospective franchise owners, the initial investment to launch an Express traditional model ranges between $131,000 to $241,700, inclusive of a $40,000 franchise fee. More details regarding franchise costs can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info">https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info</a>.

Express Employment Professionals franchise

Betting on Community: Zak Kraehmer’s Express Franchise Success

1851 Franchise

From local roots to regional growth — Express franchise owner Zak Kraehmer shares how grit, strong relationships and strategic risk-taking helped him build a thriving franchise.

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

Betting on His Community: How Zak Kraehmer Built a Thriving Express Employment Professionals Franchise in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

zak-kraehmer-express-employment-franchise-lancaster-pa

FRANCHISE INFORMATION

Own an Express Employment Professionals Franchise

Fast Track Incentive Lets Franchisees Earn Back Fees Fast

Franchisee Highlight

Express Employment Professionals Adds 38 New Owners in Growth Year

Learn

Visit Website

EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

SOCIAL MEDIA

How This Franchisee Earned Back His Full Franchise Fee With Express Employment Professionals

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

EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS MOST READ STORIES

1851 LOGIN

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

ABOUT EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS

CONTACT EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

State Of Interest

Country Of Interest

Zip Code

How did you hear about us?

Net Worth

Own An Express Employment Professionals

<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

greg-laura-sulentic-2026-franchisees-of-the-year

express-franchisee-earns-back-franchise-fee-union-nj

Express Employment Professionals Franchise - Jeff Meyer - 1851 Franchise

Veteran Helps Others Find Work Through Express Employment

jeff-meyer-veteran-story

<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.

express-employment-kentucky-franchise-growth

Most prospective franchisees notice incentives right away. The real question is whether those benchmarks are practical and connected to the work required to grow the business.That’s the idea behind the Fast Track incentive offered by&nbsp;<a href="https://expressfranchising.com/">Express Employment Professionals</a>, the industry-leading staffing franchise. The program allows new franchise owners to earn back up to 100 percent of their franchise fee by hitting specific early performance benchmarks. Earn Fast Track once and owners can receive 50 percent of their franchise fee back. Hit Double Fast Track by meeting both benchmarks to earn 100 percent back.<h2>A Built-In Goal From Day One</h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilish-bel-aa06256/">Eilish Bel</a>, owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expresspros.com/us-florida-tampa-northwest">Express Employment Professionals Tampa NW</a>, first learned about&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment">Express</a> from two friends who owned offices in other states. After attending Discovery Day in December 2024, she opened her office in early 2025. Early on, she made Fast Track a clear goal."I hit it in week nine and then I hit the double in week 18,” Bel said. “What I did was follow the process."&nbsp;Fast Track can be achieved in two ways: by billing 16 clients in one week or by reaching $65,000 in gross margin within the first 26 weeks. Owners who accomplish both hit Double Fast Track.For Bel, that meant embracing an owner-sales role and staying active in her territory.“If you are an owner in sales, it’s really being out there and doing calls,” she said. “My goal every week is to do 120 calls each week. It’s a combination of in-person, phone, and email, but the bulk of it is being out there getting to know your territory.”<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-barrera-9a38427/">Julie Barrera</a>, owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expresspros.com/us-texas-dallas-north">Express Employment Professionals North Dallas</a>, entered Express with more than two decades of staffing experience, primarily in healthcare. After being laid off twice in five years, she began exploring franchising as a way to gain more control over her career.“I already knew staffing,” Barrera said. “When I googled Express, I saw that it was one of the top franchise systems to work for.”The Fast Track incentive stood out during her evaluation process. “I thought the benefit of earning your initial fee back if you hit Fast Track was a great perk,” Barrera said. “I had a lot of confidence in myself and my experience, and it didn’t seem like too far-fetched of a goal.”<h2>Turning the Incentive Into a Team-Wide Mission</h2>Fast Track became more than a personal target for Barrera. It became a shared goal inside her office.“During that first 26 weeks, it was posted everywhere in our office,” she said. “The whole team had a buy-in. Each level that we hit internally to get closer to Fast Track would benefit everybody in the office.”Her team focused heavily on client count, while also leveraging direct-hire placements to help reach the gross margin threshold for Double Fast Track.Bel had a similar experience, noting that early wins created momentum. “If you’re a salesperson, closing a deal gives you a rush,” she said. “Once you&nbsp; get one, it motivates you to keep going towards that goal.”<h2>Weekly Coaching and Accountability</h2>Both franchisees pointed to&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/express-franchisee-earns-back-franchise-fee-union-nj-2731564">Express’ developer program and Fast Track coaching as key to their success</a>. Bel participated in weekly calls with her developer and Fast Track coach.“Those first few months, it’s really hard to keep track of everything,” she said. “Having that weekly call was very encouraging. They were constantly motivating me and providing me real-time feedback on what I could do better and what I should focus on."Barrera echoed that sentiment, saying that the coaching was instrumental in helping her determine how best to utilize her time.“Whether it was email marketing, door pulls, phone calls, training, social media, job fairs, networking, or chamber events, there was always more to do than hours in the day," she said. Those weekly touchpoints helped her team stay accountable and adjust activity levels when needed.“If we didn’t hit our numbers, we asked why” she said. “How are we really utilizing our time?”<h2>Confidence That Carries Forward</h2>Earning back their franchise fees had a meaningful impact on both owners, but neither described it as purely financial.“It really means a lot to me that Express does that,” Bel said. “For them to be able to reward you with that money back is huge as a business owner. Very grateful that that was even a possibility.”For Barrera, hitting Fast Track confirmed that she made the right decision to franchise with Express.“Being able to hit Fast Track showed me that we are on the right track, that we’re laying the right foundation,” she said. “It showed what my team was motivated by, how we could reach those goals. It proved to me that getting into the franchise business with Express was the right thing to do.”<h2>Advice for New Owners</h2>Both franchisees stress that Fast Track has to be treated as a priority from the start.“You just have to go after it from day one,” Bel said. “Activity drives results. If you don’t have the activity, you’re not going to have those results.”Fast Track is designed to accelerate early traction, reinforce strong habits, and give new franchise owners a tangible way to build confidence in their investment.“Express has a very good, proven, successful blueprint," said Barrera. "And as long as you follow it, it will set you up for success.”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;

The incentive rewards early performance and gives new owners a clear path to recouping their initial investment while building strong habits.

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

express-fast-track-incentive-franchise-owners

Betting on His Community: How Zak Kraehmer Built a Thriving Express Employment Professionals Franchise in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS