Welcome to the ACT•1 Press Room
The Detroit News
February 2004
Staffing firm builds Metro Detroit business
LIVONIA — The high energy founder and CEO of the Act-1 Group, a temporary staffing firm, swooped recently into Metro Detroit to award its best clients as the company’s “angels” and visited all three of its branch offices.
“We’re doing more than placing people, we are growing relationships and strengthening the communities we serve in southeast Michigan and across America,” said Janice Bryant Howroyd while celebrating the firm’s 10th year in this region.
She runs a $483 million staffing company that’s based in Torrence, Calif., with 300 employees and more than 300,000 temporary placements. While in Metro Detroit, she presented angel awards to Ford Motor Co. and Henry Ford Health System as a way to thank her biggest area clients.
Her visit coincided with the award of a first-tier vendor contract at the regional hospital system. Act-1 will oversee Henry Ford’s $23 million to $27 million account, the first outside vendor to supply nursing and allied health care to all divisions of the hospital, according to Ed Kai, Henry Ford’s director of human resources. Act-1 will coordinate placement of all other staffing firms.
“By using a master vendor, we expect to chop out 8 to 10 percent of our temporary agency costs,” Kai said. “In the 15 months that we’ve worked with Act-1 in non-clinical allied health and clinical roles, we have been impressed with their efficiency, technology and attention to customer service.”
Temporary labor — from light industrial to human resource teams — represent a very competitive market with such local players as Kelly Services, Manpower Group and Strategic Staffing Solutions. Howroyd networks around the country at diversity functions and fills presentations with energetic smiles and intense listening skills.
“Janice is definitely a powerhouse. Her attention to detail and business acumen helps instill confidence and oversight. She delivers on what she contracts to do,” said Ray Jensen, Ford’s director of supplier diversity development. Act-1 managed the overhaul of the computerized payroll system and provides contract engineers for the automaker.
Jerry Lawrence, senior vice president of the firm’s eastern region that’s based in Detroit, said he works to help place people rapidly after each assignment ends. Its priority systems afford officials’ rapid knowledge of workers’ resumes, time cards, performance and aptitude. Howroyd said the company’s philosophy is to empower people to forge better working environments for themselves and clients.
“Never compromise who you are personally for what you wish to be professionally,” she tells her staff.
Press Contact:
Chuck Pearson
ACT•1 Group
Director of Marketing
(310) 750-3400
cpearson@act-1.com