Our History:

In 1951, Reiff sold his accounting firm and bought the staffing company, renaming it Acme Personnel Services. As the business began to flourish, throughout the early 1960s Acme expanded to include offices throughout the state of Washington.

In 1965, Robert A. (Bob) Funk joined Acme in the Seattle office as a Staffing Consultant, helping match job applicants with available opportunities. In less than a year, his determination and knack for building personal relationships earned Funk a promotion to Office Manager.

In 1969, Acme acquired a staffing office in Oklahoma City, OK. Funk spearheaded the opportunity to manage the new territory and quickly opened four successful new Acme offices in Oklahoma. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Vice President overseeing offices in Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota, Arkansas, and Colorado.

In 1973, William H. (Bill) Stoller, a college basketball player at Pacific University near Portland, OR, joined the Acme team as a part-time Staffing Consultant. In little time, his competitive spirit and determined work ethic led him to out-produce all other offices in the Portland area. In less than two years, Stoller was promoted to District Manager.

A recession in the early 1980s impacted Acme at the corporate level, uncovering financial woes that caused cracks to form in the foundation of the Acme business structure. Acme’s president, Bill Reiff, took drastic measures to keep Acme solvent, but the damage was too far gone.

In 1983, Acme declared bankruptcy, leaving employees to ponder their futures as offices closed abruptly. Funk, determined to keep his offices operational, contacted Stoller to gauge interest in forming a new temporary employment services company.

Together, they contacted Acme Franchisee Jim Gray, inviting him to join their endeavor, building on his extensive back-office operations experience. Gray agreed and the three men became the Founders of Express Temporary Services with eight offices in Oklahoma, Oregon, and Colorado.

Despite struggling in its infancy during the national economic downturn of the 1980s, Express managed to generate gross revenues of $2 million in 1983, setting the stage to become the powerhouse franchising and staffing leader it is today.

The rest, as they say, is a history that continues to this very day!

1985: Express employed 35,000 people and set its sights on bringing hope through employment to many more. The Founders determined the best way to grow was through a franchising model, introducing a new era in Express’ history. Along with this new business model came a fresh new name: Express Personnel Services.

1986: An era of exponential growth was ushered in as the Express Founders acquired the franchise rights to 30 Acme offices across the United States. Sales grew 105%, generating more than $38 million.

1988: Express opened its 100th office and topped $82 million dollars in sales.

1996: Express expanded into Canada, opening offices in Kitchener and London, ON, further cementing the company’s position as a North American staffing giant.

1999: Co-founder Gray decided to sell his stock in Express. Funk and Stoller purchased Gray’s shares, leading to today’s present-day ownership structure.

1999: Express achieved a major milestone by reaching $1 billion in sales.

2002: Express began franchising in South Africa with a desire to help people prosper through employment opportunities.

2005: Express awarded its 500th franchise and helped a record 300,000 associates find employment.

2008: Express celebrated 25 years of success and changed its name to Express Employment Professionals, updating its corporate identity to better reflect its wide array of employment offerings.

2009: Express is inducted into the International Franchising Association’s (IFA) Hall of Fame. As the oldest and most prestigious award by the IFA, it honors leading organizations that have significantly advanced franchising.

2011: Express reached another major milestone by recording 3 million hours worked in a single week.

2014: Express was recognized as the No. 1 industrial staffing provider, as well as the fastest-growing major staffing company by Staffing Industry Analysts.

2016: The accolades continued as Express was named one of Forbes’ best franchises to buy, in addition to employing an all-time high of 510,000 associates and recording sales of $3.05 billion.

2017: Express reached another milestone by reaching 4 million hours worked in a single week.

2017: Lifetime achievement accolades were bestowed upon both Express Founders:
Stoller was inducted into the Lower Columbia College Athletics Hall of Fame as a two-sport inductee for his contributions as a player on the college’s basketball and baseball teams in the 1970s.

Funk received Oklahoma’s highest honor as an inductee into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

2019: Express employed 552,000 associates in more than 800 franchise locations, generating more than $3.53 billion in sales.

2020: Express expanded its footprint through the acquisition of Frontline Recruitment Group, a recruitment and staffing company. This international expansion included 31 locations in Australia and three in New Zealand.

Also in 2020, Express launched Specialized Recruiting Group, an individual approach to professional placements by supporting local business communities and professionals seeking new career opportunities.

2021: Express received Inavero’s Best of Staffing Talent Award for the fifth consecutive year. Express earned Inavero’s Best of Staffing Client award as well, both designations claimed by fewer than 2% of staffing firms in North America.

2023: As Express Employment Professionals celebrated its 40th year, the Founders renamed the business’s corporate headquarters to Express Employment International, reflecting strategic goals while elevating the company’s family of affiliated brands connected to the flagship franchise.

Through Express Employment International, multiple brands exist to help entrepreneurs realize their dream of business ownership through franchising across the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

2023: Express is inducted into the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Hall of Fame. Inductees are franchisors that have ranked in the Franchise 500 for at least 25 years. At the time of induction, Express achieved its 35th consecutive year on the list.

2024: Entrepreneur Magazine named Express the No. 1 staffing franchise for the 13th consecutive year on their annual Franchise 500 List.

2024: Growing to new heights, Express launches Express Healthcare Staffing, expanding the company’s placement services to further drive diversification into the healthcare sector across North America.

Our Founders: Building a People-First Culture

In 1983, Bill Stoller and Bob Funk founded Express Employment Professionals with a determination to do business differently. Understanding that profits aren't the only measure of success, Stoller and Funk wanted the company to be grounded in a people-first culture grounded in making a lasting community impact.

When good people find good jobs, individuals, businesses, and communities succeed together. This culture of caring is at the heart of every leadership decision made by Express International and each of our locally owned franchise offices.