What VanderHouwen does

VanderHouwen is a family-owned staffing and recruiting firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, founded in 1987 by Kirby and Kathy VanderHouwen. The firm places candidates across Technology, Engineering, Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Business Operations, and Executive Search, operating three engagement models: direct hire, contract, and contract-to-hire. Revenue mechanics are therefore a blend of one-time placement fees (highest gross margin, lumpy) and contract billings (lower margin, recurring). The company has held WBENC women-owned business certification since 2008, a credential that unlocks corporate supplier-diversity and government contract set-aside spend.

The firm's technical footprint centers on the VanderJobs mobile application, available on iOS and Android, which provides candidates a self-service channel to search and apply to open requisitions, plus an annual Salary Guide product covering more than 100 job titles used as a candidate-acquisition and content-marketing asset. Geographic coverage has expanded from a Pacific Northwest base to active job postings in at least eight U.S. states (Oregon, Washington, California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, Missouri) and Canada, suggesting deliberate national expansion likely accelerated by remote-work normalization. Operating headcount sits in the 101-250 employee band per publicly available profile data.

The firm is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or M&A activity, and there is no evidence of AI/ML capability investment in source material. Brand credibility is reinforced by a 2023 cluster of industry recognitions including Staffing Industry Analysts' Diversity-Owned Staffing Firm designation, Portland Business Journal Fastest Growing and Top Women-Owned honors, and Most Admired Companies recognition. Go-to-market is predominantly recruiter-led with owned candidate-community initiatives such as the VENG (VanderHouwen Engineering Networking Group).

Name

VanderHouwen

Legal name

VanderHouwen

Website

https://vanderhouwen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

VanderHouwen is a family-owned Portland, Oregon staffing firm founded in 1987 that places candidates via direct hire, contract, and contract-to-hire models across technology, engineering, finance, HR, operations, and executive search verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Temporary Help Services (561320)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

HRIS/HCM Implementation & EOR Platform Services (BPACAHAJ)

Keywords

• Professional staffing services
• Direct hire placement
• Contract staffing
• Executive search
• Technology recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Hire Placement Services: Permanent placement recruiting services matching candidates with employers for full-time positions. Fees typically based on a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year salary.
2. Contract/Temporary Staffing: Provides skilled temporary staffing to employers, placing professionals in contract and contract-to-hire positions. Revenue generated through hourly billing margins on contractor rates.
3. Executive Search: Retained and contingency search services for executive-level placements across Technology, Accounting, Engineering, and Business Operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VanderHouwen is a staffing agency that recruits and places professionals for employers through direct hire, contract, and contract-to-hire arrangements, with dedicated teams covering Technology, Engineering, Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Business Operations, and Executive Search. The firm complements its placement services with the proprietary VanderJobs mobile app, weekly custom job alerts, and annual Salary Guides to support both employer hiring and candidate job search nationwide.

Product overview

VanderHouwen is a family-owned and operated staffing agency established in 1987, offering professional placement services across Technology, Engineering, Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, and Business Operations. The company provides recruiting services through direct hire, contract, and contract-to-hire arrangements, complemented by salary guides, a mobile job search app (VanderJobs), networking groups, and career resources including an interview guidebook. The company operates nationally from its Portland, Oregon headquarters and is WBENC-certified as a women-owned business since 2008.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VanderJobs: Mobile application for job seekers to search, view, and apply to jobs, and receive job alerts.

Products and services

• Direct Hire Placement Services Permanent placement recruiting service that matches candidates with employers for full-time positions across Technology, Engineering, Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, and Business Operations. Fees are typically based on a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year salary. Designed for U.S. employers seeking direct hire talent.
• Contract / Temporary Staffing Skilled temporary staffing placing professionals in contract and contract-to-hire positions across multiple industries and disciplines. Revenue is generated through hourly billing margins on contractor rates. For U.S. employers needing project-based or short-term talent.
• Executive Search Retained and contingency search services for executive-level placements across Technology, Accounting, Engineering, and Business Operations. Targeted at U.S. employers seeking senior leadership and C-suite hires.
• VanderJobs Mobile Application Proprietary mobile application available on iOS App Store and Google Play that enables job seekers to search, view, and apply to VanderHouwen jobs nationwide and receive job alerts when positions match selected keywords. Supports the firm's candidate acquisition funnel across all staffing verticals.
• Technology Recruitment Dedicated recruitment team focused on placing technology and IT professionals for employers, covering software development, systems administration, network engineering, security, technical support, and IT project management roles.
• Accounting Recruitment Dedicated recruitment team placing accounting, tax, audit, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, financial analysis, and CFO-level executives for Accounting & Finance employers.
• Engineering Recruitment Dedicated recruitment team placing mechanical, electrical, embedded software, project/program management, hardware engineering, manufacturing, and engineering management professionals for Engineering employers.
• HR Recruitment Dedicated recruitment team placing HR directors, managers, business partners, compensation analysts, recruiters, and HR generalists for Human Resources employers.
• Operations Recruitment Dedicated recruitment team placing professionals in sales, marketing, supply chain, creative, management, administrative, and operations roles for Business Operations employers.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women-Owned Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)coreOthersWBENC certification since 2008. VanderHouwen maintains official WBENC certification demonstrating women-owned business status, which supports career advancement for women and provides diversity verification for corporate suppliers.
• Partners in Diversity (PiD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocused on addressing diverse hiring in companies around the Pacific Northwest. Provides education for employers, networking groups and events for members, and job boards to bring diversity-focused companies and diverse candidates together. Quarterly Say Hey events welcome professionals of color to the area.
• Northwest Veterans in TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity created by military veterans that seeks to empower all people within technology careers through inclusive professional services and connections to rewarding employment opportunities.
• PADNUG (Portland .NET User Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper user group for Microsoft technologies bringing together software developers from throughout the Portland Metro area to learn and discuss technologies, architecture, methodologies, and developer experiences.
• PDX DevOps GroundUpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevOps User Group focused on making software lifecycle more efficient by increasing communication and collaboration between departments through presentations, panels, and coffee meetups.
• SIM PortlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup for corporate IT leadership professionals, consultants, and digital change agents to share challenges in a safe space. Offers coaching program, leadership summit, and book club for tech leaders.
• Portland Human Resources Management Association (PHRMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association of business professionals and leaders intentionally impacting people, teams, and organizations through community building, empowerment, and professional networking at all career stages.
• VanderHouwen Engineering Networking Group (VENG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated by VanderHouwen to bring engineers of all disciplines together with monthly meetups and quarterly mixers with FENG (Financial Executives Networking Group) for cross-industry networking.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Insight Global: Large IT and engineering staffing firm providing contract, contract-to-hire, and direct placement services — competing head-to-head in VanderHouwen's technology vertical across the U.S.
• TEKsystems: IT staffing and services arm of Allegis Group specializing in technology, engineering, and digital talent — comparable in vertical focus (Technology, Engineering) and delivery model (contract + perm).
• Kforce: Specialized staffing firm focused on Technology and Finance & Accounting professionals — virtually identical vertical mix to VanderHouwen's largest segments, with direct hire and contract staffing models.
• Aerotek: Staffing firm specializing in engineering, technical, and manufacturing professionals — directly competitive with VanderHouwen's Engineering vertical and broader technical placement business.
• Addison Group: Professional staffing firm with concentrated verticals in IT, Accounting & Finance, HR, and Administrative — near-exact mirror of VanderHouwen's five vertical mix with similar direct-hire and contract offerings.
• Vaco: Specialized staffing and consulting firm placing technology, finance, accounting, and HR professionals — direct peer in the multi-vertical specialized staffing category with comparable placement and contract services.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half International: Largest publicly traded specialized staffing firm with deep franchises in accounting/finance, technology, and administrative staffing — directly overlapping VanderHouwen's strongest verticals at materially greater scale.
• Kelly Services: Global staffing and workforce solutions provider spanning technology, engineering, finance, and professional placement — overlapping delivery model and verticals with VanderHouwen at national scale.

Regional players

• The Reserves Network: Mid-sized regional staffing firm with similar professional placement and contract services across office, industrial, and professional verticals — comparable scale and relationship-driven model to VanderHouwen.
• Maven Workforce Solutions: Pacific Northwest-based staffing and workforce solutions provider operating in similar regional geography — directly comparable in Pacific Northwest employer relationships and candidate pool dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vandertweet

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VanderHouwen