“Business is really growing,” says Craig Nelson, executive vice president of Nelson’s staffing services. He notes it’s up by 30 to 35 percent over this time last year. “Temporary labor always comes back first,” says Nelson, and it’s a good indication that the rest of the job market will follow. This job placement service has won the Best Of award nine years in a row, shutting out all other agencies since the award’s inception in 2001. In a tough economy, it’s held strong, making a concerted effort to maintain all of its geographic locations and keeping its best employees on board.
Nelson is well positioned for 2010-2011, when it anticipates the market coming back. It’s already starting to see a need for employees in the production market. Inventory gets low during slower times when companies are hesitant to produce goods. When products start to move once more, additional jobs are then created to fill the demand. Nelson says it’s also seeing the information technology sector pick up across the board as companies begin to reinvest in their infrastructures.
Nelson Staffing started with a flagship office in San Rafael. Today, its Santa Rosa office does the biggest volume, followed by its Napa location. “I attribute the success of our company to the teams we’ve built and the staffing supervisors we have,” says Nelson. Kelley Hartman, regional vice president, oversees the Santa Rosa, Petaluma and San Rafael branches. Carole Murio, vice president of operations, has the primary responsibility for Napa.
Each of these women has been in leadership positions for more than 20 years. Their teams are comprised of dedicated professionals, many of whom have also been employed with the firm for a substantial amount of time. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t on the lookout for new talent, too. Jim Geist, a seasoned staffing veteran, was brought on board four years ago as a manager for Nelson & Associates, the arm that handles placement of contract and permanent accounting and finance personnel in the North Bay.
Even with continued success, Craig Nelson still looks to his father, Gary, for advice. The senior Nelson founded the company in 1970, and continues in his role as CEO of the Nelson Family of Companies. “Talk to anyone in the industry. They recognize my father as one of the visionaries in this field,” says Craig. With more than 40 years of experience helping local industries grow by providing top talent and dedicated workers, Nelson Staffing has proven it’s one of the most trusted and personal staffing agencies in our area.
