The DPI Group

What The DPI Group does

The DPI Group is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1971 (originally as DePaul Industries, rebranded in May 2019) headquartered in Portland, Oregon, whose explicit mission is to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers to work. Operations are structured as a portfolio of seven distinct brands—DPI Staffing, DPI Security, Fort Rock Tactical, Northwest Success, Meadowlark Employment Services, Community Services Network, and PurposeSTAFF—delivering temporary and direct-hire staffing, contract security guard services, federal knife assembly (for the U.S. Armed Forces via the SourceAmerica/AbilityOne program), food and consumer goods packaging/private labeling with export to Asia, and direct supportive employment services. The company is operated as an integrated social venture in which 97% of revenue is earned through business operations rather than government subsidies, with reported FY2011 revenue of $24.9 million.

Name

The DPI Group

Legal name

The DPI Group

Website

https://thedpigroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The DPI Group is a 1971-founded Portland, Oregon nonprofit social enterprise operating seven brands that provide staffing, security, federal knife assembly, and food packaging services to create jobs for people with disabilities and other employment barriers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Staffing Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Disability employment services
• Temporary staffing services
• Contract security services
• Food packaging services
• Social enterprise staffing

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Burnie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Staffing Services: Temporary staffing services providing clerical and light industrial workers to businesses
2. Security Services: Security services provided to commercial clients
3. Food and Consumer Goods Packaging: Contract manufacturing and packaging services for food and consumer goods, including private labeling and export of nuts and dried fruits

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The DPI Group is a social enterprise nonprofit that operates a portfolio of employment-focused businesses providing temporary staffing, security services, contract food packaging and knife assembly services to commercial and federal clients. The organization employs people with disabilities and other employment barriers as its integrated workforce while delivering competitive business services, generating 97% of revenue through operations without government subsidies.

Product overview

The DPI Group is a social enterprise nonprofit organization operating as a multi-brand portfolio of seven distinct employment-focused companies. The portfolio is organized around three core business lines: temporary and direct-hire staffing services (DPI Staffing), security services (DPI Security), and food packaging and contract manufacturing operations. The company's unique model creates job opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers through integrated social enterprise operations. The seven brands—DPI Staffing, DPI Security, Fort Rock Tactical, Meadowlark Employment Services, Northwest Success, Community Services Network, and PurposeSTAFF—operate independently while sharing the common mission of disability employment and social impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DPI Staffing Temporary and direct-hire staffing agency providing clerical and light industrial workers to commercial clients through offices in Portland (Oregon), Salem (Oregon), Silverdale (Washington), Sierra Vista (Arizona), Baltimore (Maryland), and Fort Smith (Arkansas). Expanded to Baltimore in 2013 to begin staffing and fire watch services.
• DPI Security Security services company providing security guard and watch services to commercial clients, with offices in Portland (Oregon), Salem (Oregon), and Eugene (Oregon).
• Fort Rock Tactical Knife assembly facility that manufactures and assembles knives for various branches of the United States Armed Forces under the SourceAmerica AbilityOne program, providing employment for people with disabilities.
• Food and Consumer Goods Packaging (DePaul Packaging) Contract packaging, private labeling, and export services for food and consumer goods companies, including packaging and export of nuts and dried fruits to China, Vietnam, and Japan. Operations run through the Hayden Island production facility.
• Meadowlark Employment Services Employment services providing job placement and supportive employment services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other barriers to employment.
• PurposeSTAFF National staffing network launched by DePaul (now The DPI Group) focused on helping people with disabilities and other barriers to employment, structured as a for-profit staffing entity and Certified B Corporation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,846 total employees and $13 million in wages paid to employees with disabilities in FY2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SourceAmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSourceAmerica provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities through federal contracts. Merlin Yellowtail works at DPI's Fort Rock Tactical knife assembly facility, assembling knives for U.S. Armed Forces branches under SourceAmerica's AbilityOne program.
• Portland State University Impact EntrepreneurscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSU Impact Entrepreneurs, ranked #1 small MBA program by Aspen Institute, partnered with DePaul Industries to develop replication materials documenting the company's integrated social enterprise model to enable other organizations to scale the approach nationwide.
• Social Enterprise AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member and presenter at SEA Summits. Dave Shaffer served on panels discussing alternative staffing and social enterprise funding. DePaul helped establish Portland chapter of SEA.
• Alternative Staffing AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted the 2013 ASA conference in Portland. Dave Shaffer spoke at multiple ASA conferences on alternative staffing. DePaul is a founding member of this national association of social purpose staffing companies.
• Project SEARCHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDePaul Industries spearheaded Project SEARCH program for people with significant intellectual disabilities in Oregon. Participants work onsite at businesses like The Standard as integrated employees.
• The StandardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner employer for Project SEARCH program. Hosts employees with disabilities working onsite alongside non-disabled employees at their Portland location.
• PurposeSTAFFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational staffing network launched by DePaul focused on helping people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Represents the company's expansion through partnerships.
• Partnerships With Industry (PWI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Diego-based nonprofit bringing together employers and persons with disabilities. Connected with DePaul at SANDAN event on social enterprise; expressed interest in learning from and potentially collaborating with DePaul.
• United Cerebral Palsy Association of OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiled class action lawsuit on disability employment issues. DePaul's integrated employment model contrasts with sheltered workshop approach they challenge.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup: ManpowerGroup is one of the world's largest staffing and workforce solutions companies. Relevant as a broad incumbent competing against DPI Staffing in the commercial temporary staffing market across Oregon, Washington, and Arizona.
• Easterseals: Easterseals is a national nonprofit network providing disability services, vocational rehabilitation, and employment support. Comparable to DPI given shared disability mission and workforce development focus, though broader in clinical and therapeutic services beyond employment.
• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill is the largest U.S. nonprofit social enterprise, operating staffing, retail, and workforce programs that employ people with barriers to employment. Comparable to DPI given shared mission and self-sustaining model, though at vastly greater scale and broader geographic reach.

Others

• SourceAmerica: SourceAmerica is the AbilityOne program administrator that connects federal contracts to nonprofit agencies employing people with disabilities. Directly relevant as DPI's Fort Rock Tactical operates under SourceAmerica's AbilityOne framework.

Direct peers

• The Chimes: The Chimes is a Mid-Atlantic nonprofit providing employment, staffing, and disability services through commercial operations. Comparable to DPI given its integrated social venture model, multiple operating subsidiaries, and focus on disability employment.
• Fedcap Group: Fedcap Group is a New York-based nonprofit that provides workforce development, vocational rehabilitation, and employment services for people with disabilities and other barriers. Comparable to DPI in mission, beneficiary population, and self-sustaining social enterprise model.
• PRIDE Industries: PRIDE Industries is a California-based nonprofit social enterprise and AbilityOne contractor offering staffing, manufacturing, and facility services that employ people with disabilities. Closely comparable to DPI in operating model, federal contracting access, and integrated employment mission.
• Melwood: Melwood is a Maryland-based nonprofit social enterprise providing staffing, workforce development, and disability employment services. Highly comparable to DPI given its integrated mission-plus-margin model, AbilityOne participation, and security/staffing/contract manufacturing verticals.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thedpigroup
• Xx.com/depaulind
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/depaul-industries

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 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 The DPI Group