Primary Services

What Primary Services does

Primary Services is a privately held, Houston-based staffing and recruiting company founded in 1988 by Regina Mellinger. The firm places contract, direct hire, and temp-to-hire candidates across three primary verticals — New Energy (solar, wind, hydro, clean energy), Oil & Gas, and Corporate — supplemented by cross-industry professional, technical, and support-service divisions covering accounting, HR, marketing, engineering, IT, analytics, administrative, and operations roles. It serves a roster of Fortune 500 and enterprise clients that includes Shell, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, TotalEnergies, ENGIE, NRG, CenterPoint Energy, Ovintiv, Marathon Oil, Sunnova, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Fred Loya Insurance, and a Premier Auto Insurance Company, and has placed more than 70,000 candidates over its 35-year history.

The company's underlying technology stack is centered on a proprietary contractor payroll, invoicing, and benefits administration software designed internally by CFO Albert Mellinger, which integrates directly with client HR and back-office systems. Distribution combines enterprise field sales to employer clients, a self-service job seeker portal for candidates, and a dedicated client portal for employer partners. Talent management solutions (on-site management, outsourced recruiting, payroll, SOW/project support, strategic consulting, testing and assessment) are offered alongside core placement services. The company is WBENC-certified as a woman-owned business, has been named to the Inc. 5000 and recognized as WBEA Supplier of the Year, and is debt-free under Mellinger family leadership.

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees charged to employer clients on each placement and ongoing contract staffing arrangements, with pricing negotiated per engagement rather than published as standard tiers. Geographic footprint is anchored in Houston but reaches global clients across the United States and internationally, supported by the April 2025 strategic partnership with Trinity Professionals to extend energy-sector coverage.

Name

Primary Services

Legal name

Primary Services

Website

https://primaryservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Primary Services is a Houston-based, woman-owned staffing and recruiting firm founded in 1988 that places contract, direct hire, and temp-to-hire candidates across energy (oil & gas and new energy), corporate, and professional sectors for Fortune 500 and enterprise clients globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Staffing and Recruiting Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Generalist Staffing Firms (BPACACAI), Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC), Administrative, Clerical & Office Support Direct Hire (BPACAFAF), Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)

Keywords

• Staffing services
• Recruiting solutions
• Direct hire placement
• Temporary staffing
• Workforce solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Staffing and Recruiting Services: The company generates revenue by placing candidates in contract, direct hire, and temp-to-hire positions for employer clients. Revenue comes from fees charged to employer clients for talent acquisition and workforce solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Primary Services is a Houston-based staffing and recruiting firm that places candidates in contract, direct hire, and temp-to-hire positions across the energy, corporate, and professional sectors. The company delivers specialized vertical staffing for Oil & Gas and New Energy (solar, wind, hydro, clean energy) plus horizontal placement across professional (Accounting & Finance, HR, Marketing & Sales, Strategy & Leadership, Supply Chain & Procurement), technical (Analytics, Engineering, IT & Software), and support service (Administrative, Customer Service, Operations) divisions, complemented by talent management solutions such as on-site management, outsourced recruiting, payroll services, SOW/project support, strategic consulting, and testing & assessment.

Product overview

Primary Services is a staffing and workforce solutions company offering a comprehensive portfolio of recruiting and talent management services. The company operates with a single integrated staffing platform supported by specialized divisions: Professional staffing (Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Marketing & Sales, Strategy & Leadership, Supply Chain & Procurement), Technical staffing (Analytics, Engineering, IT & Software), and Support Services (Administrative, Customer Service, Operations). The portfolio spans three hiring solutions (Contract, Direct Hire, Temp-to-Hire) and six talent management solutions (On-Site Management, Outsourced Recruiting, Payroll Services, SOW/Project Support, Strategic Consulting, Testing & Assessment). Primary Services also provides specialized industry staffing for New Energy, Oil & Gas, and Corporate sectors, organized by career levels from entry-level graduates to executive leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Energy Staffing Specialized staffing services for the renewable and new energy sector, providing candidates for solar, wind, hydro, and clean energy positions for energy employer clients.
• Oil & Gas Staffing Staffing solutions for the oil and gas industry, connecting employers with qualified professionals in exploration, production, and related operations.
• Corporate Staffing General corporate staffing services covering various business functions across multiple industries for employer clients.
• Contract Staffing Temporary contract-based staffing solutions for short-term and project-based workforce needs of employer clients.
• Direct Hire Permanent placement services for direct employment positions, placing candidates as full-time hires with employer clients.
• Temp-to-Hire Transitional staffing solution allowing employers to evaluate candidates on a temporary basis before making permanent hiring decisions.
• On-Site Management Dedicated on-site management services where Primary Services personnel manage staffing operations at client locations.
• Outsourced Recruiting Full outsourced recruiting services where Primary Services handles the entire recruitment function for employer clients.
• Payroll Services Payroll processing and administration services for contracted employees, leveraging Primary Services' proprietary payroll and invoicing platform.
• SOW/Project Support Statement of Work and project-based staffing support for specific business initiatives and projects.
• Strategic Consulting Strategic consulting services to help employer clients optimize their workforce and HR strategies.
• Testing & Assessment Candidate testing and assessment services to evaluate job fit and capabilities for employer clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Attrition reduced by nearly 40% for one major client
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trinity ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2025Strategic partnership with Trinity Professionals, a respected talent acquisition firm led by Robbye Jones. This partnership brings together two trusted organizations with aligned values and deep industry expertise to expand energy staffing capabilities. The collaboration enhances Primary Services' ability to serve the energy sector with combined expertise and resources.
• CareerSpringminorOthersPartnership with CareerSpring organization supporting workforce development initiatives.
• Civic Heart (formerly Change Happens!)minorOthersHouston-based nonprofit partnership where Regina Mellinger serves as advisor providing professional insights and resources to help empower people in the community.
• Back On Track HoustonminorOthersCommunity partnership supporting workforce reintegration programs in the Houston area.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kelly Services: Major US-headquartered staffing firm offering contract, temp-to-hire, direct hire, and managed service provider (MSP) solutions across professional, technical, and administrative categories. Comparable in multi-industry staffing breadth and Fortune 500 client orientation.
• Robert Half International: Global staffing and consulting firm with dedicated divisions for finance/accounting, technology, legal, marketing, and administrative placements. Directly comparable in core direct-hire and contract placement services across professional disciplines; vastly larger scale than Primary Services.
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing and workforce solutions provider operating across generalist, professional, and specialized talent segments including engineering and energy. Comparable in offering contract, temp-to-hire, direct hire, and outsourced recruitment services to enterprise clients.
• Adecco Group: Global HR solutions leader offering general staffing, professional placement, and talent management across diverse industries. Comparable in operating across multiple verticals with contract and permanent placement models; vastly larger and geographically broader.

Direct peers

• Hays plc: UK-listed specialist staffing firm with deep energy, oil & gas, and renewables expertise (Hays Energy). Closely comparable given Primary Services' similar vertical specialization in energy and professional/technical placements across multiple geographies.
• Airswift: Energy, process, and infrastructure staffing specialist serving oil & gas, power, and renewables sectors globally. Closely comparable as an energy-vertical-focused direct competitor targeting similar Fortune 500 energy employers with contract and direct-hire placements.
• Brunel International: Specialist energy, oil & gas, and renewable energy staffing and project services firm. Comparable as a direct energy-vertical competitor offering both permanent placement and contract/temp staffing to global energy clients, with strong presence in Houston and similar client roster.
• Lucas Group: Specialized executive search and professional recruiting firm placing mid-to-senior level talent across energy, manufacturing, healthcare, and other verticals. Comparable in executive leadership and professional direct-hire placement services, including energy vertical expertise.
• SThree: Specialist staffing group focused on STEM talent including energy, engineering, and technology sectors. Comparable in verticalized permanent and contract placement model targeting technical and professional candidates, with energy/renewables exposure.

Emerging players

• CSI Recruiting: Houston-based energy recruiting firm focused on oil & gas, power, and renewable energy placements. Comparable as a regional energy-specialist direct hire firm with overlapping customer base and similar vertical focus to Primary Services' energy divisions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/primaryservices
• Facebookfacebook.com/primaryservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/23099

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Primary Services