May 7 Press Release:

Express Employment Professionals Selected as One of West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Elite Award Winners

Grand Rapids, Mich. – May 7, 2015 – At the West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For^® annual awards luncheon held today, not only were 114 companies honored but 12 Elite winners were selected by Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA). This is the 13^th year the MBPA has presented this annual event, which provides companies with the opportunity to pursue a Best and Brightest designation.

“We are proud to provide a forum for these select companies to be recognized and honored. It takes dedication and a strong commitment to one’s employees to be named an Elite Winner. This year’s recipients keep innovative human resource initiatives at the forefront and make it a priority to consider their workforce as an essential aspect in their company success,” said Jennifer Kluge, president of the MBPA, which presents the Best and Brightest program.

The 12 Elite winners are selected based on their overall high scores and then named an Elite winner in their highest performing category. Express Employment Professionals won the Elite Award for Employee Enrichment, Engagement, and Retention. This is the 6^th consecutive year in which Express Employment Professionals has been honored with an Elite Award.

“We are honored to be recognized with this award showcasing the commitment we have to our employees and their ongoing enrichment. At Express Employment Professionals we help our clients find employees that will be a long-term fit for their organization and we offer training to those organizations on how to engage and retain their employees. Helping our clients be successful first starts with applying our best practices internally to our own team. I am happy to see our employees are reporting that they are engaged and enriched through their work and that we have a retention rate which is unheard of in our industry,” said Janis Petrini, owner of the Grand Rapids, MI Express Employment Professionals.

The “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For^®” a program of the Michigan Business and Professional Association, is presented annually in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Houston, Milwaukee, San Francisco, and nationally. Nominations are now being accepted. Visit www.101bestandbrightest.com to obtain an application.

West Michigan’s Best And Brightest Companies To Work For^®
2015 Elite Winners:

Communication and Shared Vision: Andy J. Egan Co

Community Initiatives: Buist Electric

Compensation, Benefits and Employee Solutions: Greenleaf Trust

Diversity and Inclusion: Crowe Horwath LLP

Employee Achievement and Recognition: HUMANeX Ventures

Employee Education and Development: Elzinga & Volkers

Employee Enrichment, Engagement and Retention: Express Employment Professionals

Recruitment, Selection and Orientation: Acoustics By Design, Inc.

Strategic Company Performance: Consumers Credit Union

Work-Life Balance: Mill Steel Company

Small Business "Best of the Best" Award: Southwest Michigan First

"Best of the Best" Award: MSU Federal Credit Union

March 21 Press Release:

Grand Rapids Express Office to Host Refresh Leadership Live Simulcast Featuring Daymond John, Dan Aykroyd, Liz Murray and Ann Harten

Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 21, 2015 – Express Employment Professionals of Grand Rapids is hosting the 2015 Refresh Leadership Live Simulcast, a nationwide leadership event featuring retail giant Daymond John, actor Dan Aykroyd, motivational speaker Liz Murray as well as live speaker Ann Harten; VP of Global Human Resources at Haworth.

Back for its sixth year, the event will be simulcast on Wednesday, April 15 at The Salvation Army Kroc Center, 2500 S. Division, Grand Rapids, MI 49507. Registration opens at 7:00 a.m. and the simulcast begins at 7:30 a.m.

            Business leaders, human resources professionals, chamber of commerce officials and chamber members can find more information and register at expresspros.com/GrandRapidsMI/Refresh-Leadership-Live-Simulcast-2015/About. The cost of the event is only $25, 100% of which will be donated to the Salvation Army.

            “Express is proud to present this exciting opportunity for business leaders from throughout our community,” said Janis Petrini, Grand Rapids Express franchisee. “Each speaker in this year’s distinguished lineup was specifically chosen for their proven expertise and extraordinary accomplishments.”

            Daymond John, CEO of FUBU and Shark Branding and TV Personality on ABC's “Shark Tank,” will share the exact goal-setting strategies he attributes to his success and will teach you how to incorporate them into all your endeavors.

Dan Aykroyd, actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician and businessman, will discuss the role great leadership has played in his legendary career – both on and off the big screen.

Liz Murray, motivational speaker and bestselling author of “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard,” will inspire you to achieve your goals by sharing her extraordinary story of survival.

            “Express has a strong presence in Grand Rapids and we are pleased to offer Refresh Leadership Live as a way to give back to the business community,” said Petrini.

            The Grand Rapids Express office is a locally owned franchise and has been in business since 1996. Express ranks as the largest franchised staffing company in the United States and operates over 700 offices around the world. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. For more information, visit expresspros.com/GrandRapidsMI