HKA Enterprises

What HKA Enterprises does

HKA Enterprises is a private, US-based workforce solutions firm headquartered in Duncan, South Carolina, operating under the legal entity HKA Enterprises Group Inc. (formerly known as Cenergy Partners). Founded in 1980, the company has spent over 40 years building a staffing platform that serves organizations needing remote, back-office, and worksite employees across verticals including engineering, construction, manufacturing, and IT. Its portfolio spans three primary service lines: Funded Payroll (an Employer of Record offering that funds, administers, and processes payroll and benefits for client field employees with customized cash management programs), Staffing (direct placement, contingent/temporary, and executive search across eight functional areas), and IT Solutions.

The IT Solutions arm, formed through the integration of DBDS (Data Based Development Systems) and Talus Partners, provides software development and cloud enablement, managed application services, managed service desk and data center operations, business intelligence and data analytics, and integration/divestitures support, alongside contingent and permanent IT staffing. Talus Partners was acquired in January 2020 and brings offshore capabilities and a blue-chip manufacturing/financial services book. HKA also operates a self-serve job board at jobs.hkaa.com with candidate accounts and job alert functionality, and distributes services through direct enterprise sales, inside sales recruiting teams, and its DBDS/Talus Partners brands.

HKA makes money primarily through professional services fees on staffing placements (contingent and direct hire) and managed services revenue from EOR/payroll administration. Customer segments are weighted toward enterprise organizations, with DBDS specifically claiming trusted-partner status with Fortune 50 companies for over thirty years. Pricing is quote-based and usage-driven, with disclosed job listing hourly rates ranging from approximately $19/hour (warehouse) to $105/hour (senior IT/AI), depending on role complexity and experience. The company maintains 1,001-5,000 employees and is independently owned with no disclosed institutional investor or parent entity.

Name

HKA Enterprises

Legal name

HKA Enterprises Group Inc.

Website

https://hkaa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

HKA Enterprises is a private US workforce solutions firm offering Employer of Record payroll, contingent and direct-hire staffing, executive search, and IT consulting/staffing through its DBDS and Talus Partners brands, serving enterprise clients in engineering, construction, manufacturing, and IT-intensive sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Staffing Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

HRIS/HCM Implementation & EOR Platform Services (BPACAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL), Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB)

Keywords

• Workforce staffing services
• Employer of record
• Contingent labor staffing
• Direct hire placement
• IT consulting solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Duncan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Placement / Staffing Services: HKA places candidates directly with client organizations. The direct placement division locates candidates that best fit client opportunities, with expertise across multiple industries and functional areas including engineering, finance, general management, operations, supply chain, human resources, marketing, sales, and technology.
2. Contingent/Temporary Staffing: Provides temporary workers for organizations needing to scale workforce up or down, serving various industries including engineering, construction, manufacturing, and more.
3. Employer of Record (EOR) / Funded Payroll Services: HKA funds, administers, and processes client company payroll and benefits for field employees. Works with organizations to design customized cash management programs, freeing up working capital for additional business needs.
4. IT Staffing and Solutions: DBDS and Talus Partners represent the IT Solutions arm of HKA, providing IT staffing (contingent and permanent) and technology solutions including software development, cloud enablement, managed services, and data analytics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HKA Enterprises is a workforce solutions firm that places direct hire and contingent staff, runs executive search engagements, and provides funded Employer of Record (EOR) payroll administration for client field employees. Through its DBDS and Talus Partners IT Solutions divisions, the company also delivers IT consulting, software development, cloud enablement, managed services, business intelligence, and integration/divestiture support to enterprise clients.

Product overview

HKA Enterprises is a global workforce solutions firm offering a unified portfolio of staffing and HR services. The core offerings include Funded Payroll (EOR/Employer of Record), Staffing (direct and contingent), and Executive Search services. Through acquisitions, HKA has expanded into IT Solutions via DBDS (Data Based Development Systems) and Talus Partners, which together provide IT consulting, software development, cloud enablement, managed application services, managed service desk, data center services, business intelligence and data analytics, integration support, and contingent/permanent IT staffing. The company also operates a Job Board platform for candidate sourcing. All services are designed to help organizations manage worksite employees, back-office staff, and IT professionals across various industries including engineering, construction, manufacturing, and technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Data Based Development Systems (DBDS): IT consulting and solutions provider serving Fortune 50 clients, specializing in IT staffing and solutions for over 30 years.
• Talus Partners

Products and services

• Funded Payroll (Employer of Record) Employer of Record (EOR) payroll service that funds, administers, and processes client payroll and benefits for field employees. Provides cost-benefit for organizations ranging from a smaller workforce on one worksite to thousands of employees on projects worldwide, with customized cash management programs that free up working capital.
• Direct & Contingent Staffing Direct hire and contingent/temporary staffing for remote, back-office, and worksite employees across engineering, construction, manufacturing, and related industries. Provides access to tenured recruiters with experience across multiple functional areas, enabling organizations to scale workforce up or down.
• Executive Search Direct placement and executive search service with customized approach aligning to each client's unique corporate culture and values. Expertise spans engineering, finance, general management and operations, supply chain, HR, marketing, sales, and technology. Also supports searches for private equity-backed organizations.
• DBDS (Data Based Development Systems) — IT Consulting and Solutions IT consulting and solutions brand under HKA Enterprises, serving a diverse U.S. client base including Fortune 50 manufacturing and financial services organizations. Provides IT staffing and solutions across software development, cloud enablement, managed services, BI/analytics, and integration support.
• Talus Partners — IT Staffing and Solutions IT staffing and solutions brand under HKA Enterprises, established in 2010 and acquired in January 2020. Provides contract staffing and direct hire of IT talent with offshore capabilities, plus software development, cloud enablement, managed application services, managed service desk, data center services, BI/data analytics, integration and divestitures support, contingent labor staffing, and permanent placement & executive search for IT roles.
• Online Job Board Platform Self-serve online job board platform where job seekers can search and apply for positions, create accounts, save searches, set up job alerts, and upload resumes. Serves as the candidate-facing distribution channel for HKA's staffing services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost-benefit for organizations of any size - from smaller workforces on one worksite to thousands on projects worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Talus PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Talus Partners was acquired by HKA Enterprises in January 2020. Together with DBDS, Talus Partners represents the IT Solutions arm of HKA. Talus Partners was established in 2010 and is an expert in contract staffing and direct hire of IT talent with offshore capabilities, serving blue-chip manufacturing and financial service customers with proven track record of delivering talent and solutions.
• DBDS (Data Based Development Systems)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBDS has been the trusted choice of the Fortune 50 for IT Consultants & Solutions for over thirty years. DBDS serves a diverse client base throughout the United States, partnering with key stakeholders to advise on and deliver IT Staffing and Solutions. The company joined forces with Talus Partners under HKA Enterprises to form the IT Solutions division.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Insight Global: US-based staffing and workforce solutions firm offering IT staffing, direct hire, and managed services across industries. Directly comparable to HKA's diversified staffing + IT solutions model with a similar long-tenured, multi-vertical GTM.
• Kforce: Specialty staffing firm focused on technology and finance professionals. Comparable to HKA's IT staffing arm (DBDS/Talus) and executive search capabilities across similar functional domains.
• Apex Systems: IT staffing and services firm with Fortune 500 client base. Directly comparable to HKA's DBDS IT Solutions division, which serves Fortune 50 clients with IT staffing and solutions.
• Trinet: PEO focused on HR administration, payroll, benefits, and compliance for SMB and mid-market employers. Closely comparable to HKA's EOR/Funded Payroll service model and target customer segment.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half International: Established global staffing firm with a broad portfolio including contract staffing, direct hire, and managed solutions. Comparable to HKA's multi-line staffing model, but at significantly larger scale and with public-company transparency.
• Kelly Services: Global staffing and workforce solutions provider including EOR/payroll services. Directly comparable to HKA's combined staffing + EOR/funded payroll offering, though operating at materially larger scale.
• ManpowerGroup: Global leader in staffing, EOR, and workforce solutions across many industries. Comparable to HKA's diversified staffing/EOR portfolio but at much greater global scale and brand recognition.
• Paychex: Major payroll, HR, and benefits administration provider serving SMB. Comparable to HKA's EOR/Payroll service but at much larger scale, with a broader HR technology suite and deeper compliance infrastructure.
• Randstad: Global staffing and HR services leader with EOR capabilities. Comparable to HKA's full portfolio but operates at significantly greater global scale and includes direct talent technology offerings.

Emerging players

• Deel: Tech-enabled global EOR and payroll platform rapidly scaling in the same space as HKA's funded payroll. Represents the next-generation technology competition that HKA's EOR service must defend against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HKA_Enterprises
• Facebookfacebook.com/HKAAE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hka_2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 HKA Enterprises