Oklahoma: A Story Through Her People

Above: Bob Funk welcomes youngsters
at Express Ranches, which is home to the
famous Express Clydesdales of Express
Employment Professionals.
Bottom, left: Throughout the years Express
has been a national partner with Children’s
Miracle Network Hospitals. Here, Bob Funk
greets one of the children with CMNH.
Bottom, right: Bob Funk congratulates a
scholarship winner at the 2006 Youth Expo.
“We are hope-givers. That’s how we think
of ourselves,” said Rina Donaldson, who has
owned the Bozeman, Montana, Express office
along with her husband Greg for twenty-five
years. “Every day we provide hope for people
coming to us, desperate for jobs. Employment
is a big deal in people’s lives, and when they
don’t have a job, things can get pretty grim.
I’ve seen it again and again; a job can turn a
life around.”
Under Funk’s leadership, Express has put
more than 5 million people to work worldwide
and nearly 295,000 in Oklahoma since
1983. “Seeing a person find a job is one of the
greatest joys in life,” Funk said. “During the
past few years, we’ve put a million people to
work. And we have a long-term goal to put a
million people to work annually.”
The history of Express Employment
Professionals began in 1983 with 6 offices in
Oklahoma, 2 in Colorado and 1 in Oregon.
Express struggled during a time when the oil
industry took a devastating downturn.
Although local banks and businesses were
failing daily, Express managed to keep
afloat. That first year, Express Employment
Professionals was able to generate gross
revenues of more than $2 million despite the
depressed economy.
By design, Express offered temporary staffing
to help clients and customers through the
fourteen percent unemployment recession in
Oklahoma. The company marketed probationary
hiring as a method of training and
“try before you buy” hiring methodology.
And, as an innovator in the staffing industry,
Express eliminated applicant fees. To this
day, when a job seeker comes to Express,
they do not pay any fees. Other large staffing
companies have since followed suit in not
charging applicant fees.
By 1999 sales for Express topped $1 billion.
The franchise network added it 500th office
in 2005. In October 2011, Express associates
achieved a monumental milestone, working a
combined total of 3 million hours in a single
week. “To put this into perspective, 3 million
hours is equivalent to three more Brooklyn
Bridges being built to span New York City’s
East River or 103 CN Towers being built to
preside over the city of Toronto. The likeness
of all forty-four U.S. presidents could be
carved into Mount Rushmore’s granite cliffs
twice,” Funk said. “And, in just one week,
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