Express Employment Professionals, Founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board Celebrates 50 Years in the Staffing Industry

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Express Employment Professionals

Sep 28, 2015, 11:10 ET


Oklahoma City, OK (PRWEB) September 28, 2015 -- Oklahoma businessman Bob Funk knows a thing or two about putting people to work. And for this staffing icon, today marks his 50-year anniversary in the industry.

Funk is co-founder, CEO and chairman of the board at Express Employment Professionals, one of the fastest growing franchised staffing companies, according to Staffing Industry Analysts. The company boasts 750 franchises and had sales of $2.85 billion in 2014.

Even at 75 years old, Funk is still actively involved in the daily operations of Express and has set a lofty long-term goal to put a million people to work annually. Funk also owns 30 Express locations throughout the state.

In celebration of his 50 years of dedication to the staffing industry, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin proclaimed Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 as “Bob Funk Day.”

The Early Years
Funk has always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong work ethic. He began his career with Acme Personnel, a Washington state-based staffing company. He worked for Acme for 18 years until the company dissolved.

From humble beginnings, out of a broken Acme Personnel company, Express Employment Professionals began in 1983 with six offices in Oklahoma, two in Colorado and one in Oregon. Express struggled during a time when the oil industry took a devastating downturn. Although local banks and businesses were failing daily, Express managed to keep afloat. That first year, Express Employment Professionals was able to generate gross revenues of more than $2 million despite the depressed economy.

By 1999, sales for Express topped $1 billion. The franchise network added its 500th office in 2005. In October 2011, Express associates achieved a monumental milestone, working a combined total of 3 million hours in a single week.

"The growth we've seen in our company is a testament to the culture of Express," Funk said. "We have an incredible support team of more than 250 employees at headquarters who are dedicated to helping people succeed at the franchise level, and our franchisees are personally invested in seeing their communities grow and thrive."

Hope Through a Job
Funk subscribes to the notion that everyone deserves to experience the satisfaction and self-esteem that comes from being engaged in meaningful work. Whether you’re an IT professional, an entrepreneur, a warehouse worker, or any and everything in between, meaningful work can add purpose and fulfillment to your life. It can help shape your future and your children’s future. Work can add to our satisfaction, success, and happiness. Most importantly, Funk believes it can give hope.

“Employment impacts all of our lives. When we help people find a job, it helps restore confidence and provides them hope,” Funk said. “A job helps them take care of their family. There is honor and fulfillment in hard work. There is tremendous personal value in a job well done.”

Funk said finding a person a job is one of the greatest joys in life.

Since January 2013, Express has put 900,000 new people to work system wide and is projected to hit 1 million new people by November 2015. They are also expecting to employ 510,000 in the U.S., Canada and South Africa in 2015.

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About Express Employment Professionals
Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $2.85 billion in sales and employed more than 456,000 people in 2014. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. For information about Express, visit ExpressPros.com.

For More Information:
Sherry Kast, APR
Corporate Communications and PR Manager
Express Employment Professionals
9701 Boardwalk Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73162
(405) 840-5000
Sherry.Kast(at)ExpressPros(dot)com

Sherry Kast, Express Employment Professionals, http://www.expresspros.com/, +1 (405) 717-5966, [email protected]