Thirty Years of People, Purpose, and Possibility

In 1996, a small staffing firm opened its doors in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a simple but powerful belief: meaningful work creates hope. Thirty years later, that belief still defines the heart of Express Employment Professionals.

As Express celebrates its 30th anniversary on February 26, 2026, we honor more than longevity. We celebrate three decades of connecting people to opportunity, helping businesses grow, and strengthening the community we call home.

For those of us at Frontline Training Solutions, this milestone is deeply personal. Frontline exists because of Express’ 30-year history in our market. The trust built with clients, the insight gained from thousands of workforce conversations, and the relationships established over decades created the foundation for Frontline—just a year after expanding our professional and executive search services through the establishment of Specialized Recruiting Group in Grand Rapids.

Express is the company marking 30 years. Yet this anniversary represents the full arc of what that legacy made possible: comprehensive workforce and workplace solutions that now include professional and executive search and leadership development alongside the original staffing business.

A Legacy Built on Meaningful Work

For three decades, Express has operated with a clear vision: helping people and businesses succeed. As a certified woman-owned business and part of a global network of more than 900 offices, the organization consistently ranks in the top 1% worldwide—while remaining deeply rooted in local relationships.

At its core, the work has always been about people.

“Personally, I have had the privilege and the honor of meeting with people at sometimes a very difficult time of their life,” says Co-Owner & Founder, Janis Petrini. “When someone experiences a job loss, it is one of the three most difficult times of someone’s life.”

She continues, “Often, we see potential in people that they don’t even see in themselves. Being able to make a great match for a job seeker and a client is the most rewarding part of our job.”

David Robb, Co-Owner & Managing Partner, reinforces that shared purpose: “At the end of the day, our goal has always been the same: to make a positive impact in the lives of people and the organizations they work for.”

Over time, those individual matches have multiplied into generational impact. Many placements from years past are now leaders within their organizations. Some have become executives. Others are mentoring the next generation. In many cases, placements have become multi-generational within families.

Janis reflects, “The impact of the work that we do is immeasurable.”

That long view—seeing careers unfold over decades—ultimately shaped our expansion into leadership development and developing people beyond the point of hire.

Listening to Clients. Expanding our Solutions.

As client relationships deepened, business leaders began sharing a consistent set of challenges: leadership gaps, high turnover, succession concerns, communication breakdowns, and the need to become an Employer of Choice in a competitive labor market.

Janis explains, “As we got to know our clients and their challenges, we wanted to be able to help them with not only finding talent but to be able to give the best to the talent as they work and grow at their organization.”

David adds, “When we see recurring needs—or gaps—we don’t ignore them. We evolve to meet them. We’ve tried to stay forward-looking, paying attention to demographic shifts, labor market trends, and the changing nature of work.”

For nearly a decade, leadership training and development operated within Express. As demand increased, Frontline Training Solutions launched in 2022 as a dedicated company focused exclusively on leadership development and training, professional and executive coaching, and workplace consulting.

Frontline was created to address a critical reality:

“The most important relationship that someone has at work is with their direct supervisor.”  – Janis Petrini, Co-Owner & Founder, The Express Employment Professionals Companies

When supervisors are equipped to communicate clearly, lead with accountability, and develop their teams, engagement rises and turnover declines. Organizations move closer to becoming Employers of Choice or destination employers—places where people want to work and want to stay.

The Intersection of the Workforce and the Workplace

Frontline’s approach to leadership development is informed by a unique perspective shaped over 30 years.

“One of our greatest strengths is that we sit at the intersection of the workforce and the workplace. We hear directly from job seekers and leaders, from frontline employees and executives.” – David Robb, Co-Owner & Managing Partner, The Express Employment Professionals Companies

That vantage point matters. It provides insight into what employees expect from leadership—and what employers must do to retain and develop top talent. It grounds our leadership training in real-world workforce dynamics as well as theory.

Because of Express’ longstanding presence in the market, we understand that hiring is only the beginning. Retention, engagement, and succession depend on developing people intentionally and consistently.

Leadership development is not a one-time event. It is a strategic commitment to building strong supervisors, resilient managers, and capable executives who can sustain performance over time.

Developing People as a Competitive Advantage

Organizations that invest in leadership training and developing people position themselves for long-term success.

Through Frontline, we partner with organizations to:

• Deliver structured leadership development programs
• Equip frontline supervisors and mid-level managers
• Strengthen executive leadership capability
• Build succession pipelines
• Improve communication, accountability, engagement, and performance
• Reduce turnover through stronger leadership practices

David frames the broader philosophy clearly: “We are, and always will be, a mission-driven business. Businesses can—and should—be a powerful force for good.”

Strong leadership is how companies become Employers of Choice. It is how they build cultures where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to grow. It is how they transition from simply filling roles to creating workplaces where people choose to stay.

Growth, David emphasizes, “only matters if it results in positive outcomes for people, businesses, and the communities we serve.”

Community as the Constant

While our services have expanded, the mission has remained steady.

“Employment is a cornerstone of a healthy, thriving community,” David says. “It impacts financial stability, family wellbeing, dignity, and opportunity.”

Janis adds, “We believe that investing in our community and helping to strengthen our community through our work is the right thing to do.”

The same philosophy that drives leadership development—investing in people so they can thrive—also guides our community engagement. Strong leaders strengthen organizations. Strong organizations strengthen communities.

That conviction has remained unchanged for 30 years.

The Next Chapter

As Express Employment Professionals celebrates this 30-year milestone, we at Frontline Training Solutions look ahead with gratitude and resolve.

The foundation built through three decades of staffing excellence made our leadership development work possible. The insight gained from serving both workforce and workplace continues to shape how we train, coach, and consult.

David shares his hope simply: “I want people to feel that they worked with a team who genuinely cared and always did what was right.”

Janis echoes that commitment: “We want to bring solutions that help organizations and people to thrive.”

Our focus moving forward is clear: advancing leadership development, equipping supervisors and executives, and helping organizations become destination employers where people can build meaningful, lasting careers.

Thirty years ago, Express began with a belief in the power of meaningful work. Today, Frontline carries that legacy forward by developing leaders and strengthening workplaces for the future.

Thirty years of people.
Thirty years of purpose.
Thirty years of possibility.

And the work of developing people—and the leaders who guide them—continues.