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