From humble beginnings to building success, here's the story of Express: Ann Arbor.
Our journey started when our owner, Derek Ilich, was 10 years old standing on a milkcrate washing dishes at his family's restaurant. His entrepreneurial spirit was set into motion as he watched his immigrant parents start a business from nothing and turn it into something special. It was then he knew he'd make his mark as a business owner someday.
Fast forward 30 years, that tenacity persevered, and Express Employment Professionals of Ann Arbor was established in February 2014. Derek stumbled upon recruiting after spending 20+ years in food service. He began working as a recruiter in a corporate office, but quickly realized he wanted to break free from the corporate barriers that restricted community involvement. While attending a staffing convention, Derek learned about Express Employment Professionals. He found that Express locations were independently owned and doing very well competing against the larger, corporate firms. Derek thought back to his days on the milkcrate and knew that he could turn this business into something special, just like his parents had. Not only would he be his own boss, but he would have the freedom to make a meaningful impact on the community.
Staying with the family theme, Derek's wife, Elizabeta, became co-owner in 2016, and thus began a real boots-on-the-ground movement to establish their business from the ground up. Through their efforts, along with their incredible team (
meet the team here!
), Express Ann Arbor has become the go-to staffing agency of Greater Ann Arbor.
Since 2014, we've been able to impact the community in the following ways:
- Number of associates placed on assignment: 4,485
- Number of associates hired in with clients: 756
- Number of client partners: 272
Express Employment's servant mentality aligns with the Ilich family values and beliefs. The Ann Arbor team rallies around this mentality too and understands the importance of how we're able to impact lives through the trust that we build and the work that we do on a daily basis.
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