Business Courier of Cincinnati - by James Ritchie Staff Reporter
Friday, March 12, 2010

At most firms, it’s a matter of plenty of applicants and few openings.

Blue Ash-based Partner Professional Staffing has the opposite problem. Even in the bad economy, some of the highly specialized, high-dollar positions for which the company recruits remain hard to fill.

“We’ve been able to grow in a challenging climate,” said William Laverty, a partner in the company and president of its technology division. “Typically in recessions, staffing get decimated. Fifty percent or more of our competitors have gone out of business.”

Partner, however, is hunting for a larger headquarters space in the Kenwood area.

Laverty attributes his success to having an experienced recruiting staff, most of whom have a degree in the field for which they recruit.

The company has 80 openings in large part because of a recently signed technology contract with a Greater Cincinnati company. Laverty said the deal prohibits him from disclosing the client’s identity.

Partner posted revenue of $7 million in 2009 and is aiming for $8 million to $10 million in 2010. Founded in 2006 with personal capital and a credit line by Laverty, Greg Hopkins and Terry Correll, with Steve Schott joining several years ago, the company now employs 30 associates and 40 to 45 consultants.

The staffing industry is looking up across Ohio, said Cindy Hochwalt, president of the Ohio Staffing and Search Association.

“The majority of members are feeling very positive,” she said.

Nationally, temporary and contract employment for the week of Feb. 22-28 was up 15 percent from the same week of 2009, according to the American Staffing Association. Overall, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 36,000 jobs lost in February, suggesting that layoffs are slowing, with the unemployment rate staying steady at 9.7 percent.

“This looks like the early stages of a classic recovery, where businesses turn to flexible work-force solutions before making a commitment to adding back workers on a permanent basis,” said Richard Wahlquist, CEO of the American Staffing Association.

Partner’s divisions include information technology, finance, government, health care and scientific, executive search and business intelligence, which involves management of business and data warehousing projects. Partner leases 3,500 square feet, and is seeking to buy or build 8,000 square feet, space it will need as growth continues, Laverty said.

See the article on the Business Couriers Web site by visiting: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2010/03/15/story10.html?b=1268625600^3021541&s=industry&i=human_resources