Tulsa-based Personnel Consultants acquired by South Bend, Ind.

Published in The Journal Record
Nov 16, 2005
Written by John Dobberstein

One of Tulsa’s fastest-growing small businesses has been purchased by an Indiana firm that plans to meld the two companies into a powerful player in the staffing industry.

Personnel Consultants – founded here in 1995 – was acquired recently by South Bend, Ind.-based Peoplelink Staffing Solutions.

Peoplelink’s president, Jay Wilkinson, said the plan is to retain all employees in Tulsa, and possibly add more.

The way we view this is a platform to take and build on, instead of a tuck-in where you eliminate people and tuck it into existing operations, Wilkinson said. It’s really a win for both sides.

Personnel Consultants’ owners – Blayne Freiden, Travis Jones and John Winters – will remain with the business, which will assume the Peoplelink brand name.

Freiden could not be reached for comment. In a statement, he said he shared common philosophies in company culture, service and quality of employees with Wilkinson.

(Wilkinson) and his people are simply exceptional. By teaming up with Peoplelink, we’ll have an even greater ability to deliver value to our customers, Freiden said.

Personnel Consultants was founded in 1995 and has enjoyed substantial growth. At times, the company was ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing businesses in the United States. It has six offices in northeastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas.

Personnel Consultants was represented by David L. Perkins Jr. of VERCOR, a Tulsa-based mergers and acquisitions consulting firm with 10 U.S. offices. VERCOR typically consults on deals for companies with annual revenues between $5 million and $50 million.

Perkins also could not be reached for comment.

Wilkinson said he has bigger plans for the combined company. In three years, he hopes to double the revenue produced from Personnel Consultants, which is a $25 million company right now. We will have to grow the existing branches and expand, Wilkinson said.

Outsourcing is driving very strong growth in the staffing industry, and Wilkinson said he plans to have the combined company positioned to take advantage.

They’ve got some good people (at Personnel Consultants) and we’re happy to be in that part of the country.