Ongoing demand for temp, permanent industrial staffing spurs EmploymentGroup to add sales staff

The ongoing demand in West Michigan for skilled temporary workers for manufacturing positions has spurred Battle Creek-based EmploymentGroup to add sales staff in Grand Rapids and Lansing to keep up with the pace.

Rayeann Lackey joins the Grand Rapids office at 3230 Broadmoor SE as sales account manager for the Grand Rapids region. Bonnie Blair is the new sales account manager for the Lansing market.

"We wanted to hire professionals that were really dedicated to their markets and help our clients with their staffing needs," says President and CEO Mark Lancaster. "Our turnover in our temporary staff is less than half of our competition in the staffing industry. Rayeann and Bonnie will help us with our current customers to make sure we're staying on top of their needs, but at the end of the day, to help us with our growth in such important industrial markets, which continue to be very strong."

Lancaster says that in 2013, EmploymentGroup placed 6,000 workers in temporary industrial jobs, and over 1,000 of them were hired as permanent, full-time employees by their companies. In the past four years, EmploymentGroup has placed over 4,000 workers in permanent jobs.

To help build the skilled trades and advanced manufacturing employee base in Michigan, EmploymentGroup established a 5 In 5 Scholarship Program to celebrate the company's 55 years in business. The fund will award $5,000 for five years to community college students pursuing two-year industrial degrees or certifications. The deadline for the first round of scholarships is Dec. 31, 2013.

"We really want to shine the light on skilled trades and the need to get students trained in skilled trades," Lancaster says. "There's such a shortage in Michigan, and many skilled tradesmen are going to retire soon, which increases that shortage."

For more information on the scholarships, click here.    

Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor