“Nelson remains, and always will continue to be, family held.” —Craig Nelson
The future looks bright for business in the North Bay, according to Craig Nelson. And who would know better? Nelson is CEO of (fittingly) Nelson, which was once again voted the North Bay’s Best Job Placement Service. Nelson says that, once the business community realized the uncertainty was over regarding President Obama’s health care program, businesses began to make decisions involving growth and hiring. “It’s happening across the board, in all sectors and all geographical locations. We struggled a bit last year, but this year, we’re seeing double-digit growth—10 percent over last year. It’s pretty exciting,” he says.
With offices throughout the West Coast, Southwest and Northeast, Nelson is one of the largest independent staffing companies in the United States. It was founded in San Rafael in 1970 by Craig’s father, Gary D. Nelson. It grew rapidly and expanded into specialty fields including administration, executive management, technology, manufacturing, legal, human resources, finance and accounting, engineering, wine and beverage, and computer gaming/digital media.
The company is making big changes to better handle its new prospects. In 2012, it merged its payroll and managed services division, WorkforceLogic, with ZeroChaos (based in Orlando, Fla.), a company that specializes in workforce solutions. Nelson maintains a minority interest in the new company, thus offering its clients greater specialization and diversity.
Last year, Nelson opened new offices in San Diego and Stamford, Conn. This year, it’s already opened a new office in Los Angeles, and it will be opening another in Orange County. The company now has 17 offices in California including Sonoma, Napa, San Rafael and Santa Rosa, as well as one in Austin, Tex.
While expanding geographically, the company carefully maintains its company culture. “We now have 12 employees in Southern California,” Nelson says. “Three worked for us previously in the north. We’re particular about who we hire. We want people we know will fit into our culture. That is, to do what’s right versus what’s profitable. It adds up to long-term growth.”
Meanwhile, Nelson says, here in Northern California, the company continues to focus on what’s important: taking care of its clients.
Also in 2012, Craig Nelson took on the position of CEO, continuing the tradition of this family-owned and operated company. “Nelson remains, and always will continue to be, family held,” says Nelson.
Nelson is excited about being voted North Bay’s Best once again. “It never gets old,” he says. “We get excited every year. Now there’s pressure not to lose it. We’re super happy. It’s an important award for us.”
Why do clients vote Nelson North Bay’s Best year after year? As head of a staffing company, Craig Nelson naturally thinks of his company’s own staff. “I think it’s the staff we have. At the end of the day, it’s about the relationship with our clients, with everyone we interact with. We try to treat everyone with respect. That’s why we’re unbeatable.
"We’re in the people business, and it’s all about the people who work for us. They deserve the credit.”
