By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Express Employment Professionals hope to help both those seeking employment and businesses looking for good employees.
The company based in St. Joseph may be opening a satellite office sometime in Niles, but for now, will continue to offer job seminars at the Lake Michigan College campus at Bertrand Crossing.
Friday, at the Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce offices, owner Steve Murray and his associates were welcomed into the Chamber by President and CEO Ron Sather and Chamber ambassadors.
Murray's wife, Debra, was unable to attend the open house.
The Murrays opened the office in St. Joseph in June 2007. In April the business named was changed from Express Personnel Services to Express Employment Professionals.
Along with staffing needs, they offer human resource services and online payroll services and are active in van Buren, Berrien and Cass counties.
As a franchise, they are backed by a company with 600 offices in four countries, which employ 350,000 people each year.
They already have a few clients in Niles and Buchanan, Murray said. A rather large employer in Niles may soon be another client, he added.
"There is much opportunity here," Murray said, adding "I was very impressed by the Chamber.
"We're here to stay," he added.
A satellite office would be a "logical step to take," but for now he added they will continue to hold job fairs at the LMC Niles campus at Bertrand Crossing.
The parent company is having its 25th anniversary this year and is the fifth largest in the industry, Murray said.
"It's all about service." After working in the transportation industry for 30 years, he has learned about service, he said.
They focus on small to medium sized businesses.
"We are full service, not just a temp service," he added, saying they work toward "better leaders, managers, employers and employees.
Representatives from the Mishawaka, Ind. office also attended the Chamber's Grand Opening ceremony.