Reid Bates, Owner

Reid Bates is the owner of Express Employment Professionals and Express Healthcare Professionals with offices in Olympia and Aberdeen, Washington. Express provides customized recruiting solutions that focus on long-term, high-skilled personnel for companies that value quality employees. He has over 35 years of business experience including 18 years as an executive with global forest products giant, Weyerhaeuser Company.

Reid's service in the community currently includes Capital Medical Center (Board of Trustees), Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. (Board of Directors), Olympia Rotary Club (Board of Directors), and the Thurston County Economic Development Council (Board of Directors). He previously served on the boards of Anchor Bank, St. Martin's University School of Business Advisory Board, Grays Harbor College Business Advisory Council, United Way of Thurston County, and Thurston County Chamber of Commerce. In 2020, Reid was the Chairman of the American Staffing Association's Washington Network Council.

He has appeared on television, radio, newspapers and spoken at numerous seminars on the topic of employment and workforce-related issues. His business, Express Employment Professionals, is past recipient of the Thurston Economic Development Council's Small Business of the Year and he is twice a recipient of the Ralph Palmen Leadership Award presented by Express Employment Professionals, Northwest Region.

Reid is a graduate of Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Business. He and his wife Kathryn are the proud parents of five children and 7 grandchildren. They make their home in Olympia.