ETS
ETS Workforce Solutions is a family-owned staffing agency founded in 1983 that places skilled workers in manufacturing, skilled trades, industrial, engineering, professional, and healthcare support roles across Vermont, Upstate New York, and nationally via contract, contract-to-hire, payroll, and direct-hire models.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersPlattsburgh, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ETS does
ETS Workforce Solutions (legal name: ETS, Inc.) is a family-owned, private staffing agency founded in 1983 in Plattsburgh, New York, providing direct-hire, contract-to-hire, payroll (employer of record), temporary staffing, training, and consulting services. The firm operates three regional offices serving the North Country of New York, Vermont (Burlington area), and the Albany/Capital Region of New York, supplemented by a National Accounts team for multi-state enterprise clients. It serves both job seekers (free placement services) and employers (fee-based hiring) across six vertical specializations: Manufacturing, Skilled Trades, Industrial, Engineering, Professional & Administrative, and Healthcare Support, with named enterprise customers that include Keurig Dr Pepper, Michelin, Casella, Generac, Alstom, Plug Power, and others.
The company's core technology is a staffing and workforce placement platform with candidate matching and vetting systems, and its offerings are structured around four pricing models: Contract-to-Hire (40-60% bill rate markup), Payroll Services (~25% markup), Direct Hire (18% retained, 25% contingent, both with a 90-day replacement guarantee), and FlexDirect™ (12-25% of annual salary paid in monthly installments over 3-18 months). The firm cites 48-hour fill times for most industrial roles, 3,000+ job matches per year, 2,000+ manufacturing workers placed annually, a 95% client retention rate, and 100,000+ workers placed cumulatively over its 40-year history. Sub-brands include Pro-Search (professional/executive recruiting), Ready4Real (youth workforce development), and Veterans Initiative (veteran-to-civilian career placement).
The business model is a classic professional/managed services staffing model: revenue is generated from bill-rate markups on contract workers, percentage fees on direct-hire placements, and monthly installments under FlexDirect. Go-to-market is primarily direct sales through dedicated, vertical-specialized recruiters, with supporting channels including SEO-optimized local job search on etsjobs.com, content marketing (264+ blog articles), organic social media, and community-based referrals. The firm has 11-50 employees with a leadership team including President & Chairman Deborah Cleary, CEO Jesse Krell, COO Amber Douglass, CFO Dan Albert, and VP of Enterprise Sales Tyler Davis. No external funding, M&A activity, regulatory actions, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
ETS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ETS
- Legal name
- ETS, Inc.
- Website
- https://etsjobs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ETS Workforce Solutions is a family-owned staffing agency founded in 1983 that places skilled workers in manufacturing, skilled trades, industrial, engineering, professional, and healthcare support roles across Vermont, Upstate New York, and nationally via contract, contract-to-hire, payroll, and direct-hire models.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ETS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Staffing Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Temporary Help Services (56132), Professional Employer Organizations (561330)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Management & Scheduling Outsourcing (Non-payroll) (BPACAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB), Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE)
Keywords
Where ETS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Plattsburgh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
ETS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Staffing and Recruitment Services: Revenue generated through bill rates on contract workers, markup on payroll services, and placement fees for direct hire placements. Contract-to-hire model charges bill rate during contract plus conversion fee at hire. Payroll services charge approximately 25% markup over base pay rate. Direct hire services charge from 18% of first-year salary (retained) to 25% (contingent). FlexDirect model charges 12-25% of annual salary spread over monthly installments.
- Payroll Services / Employer of Record: ETS acts as employer of record, handling wages, taxes, workers' comp, UI, and HR admin. Revenue comes from approximately 25% markup over base pay rate. Lower markup since client handles recruiting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Contract-to-Hire: Bill rate during contract + conversion fee at hire |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Payroll Services: ~25% markup over base pay rate |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Direct Hire Retained: From 18% of first-year salary |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Direct Hire Contingent: From 25% of first-year salary |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | FlexDirect: 12-25% of annual salary paid in monthly installments |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
ETS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ETS Workforce Solutions is a staffing agency that places workers with employers across Vermont, Upstate New York, and nationally through five hiring models: contract-to-hire, payroll/employer-of-record, retained direct-hire search, contingent direct-hire search, and FlexDirect installment-based direct hire. Its placements span manufacturing, skilled trades, industrial/warehouse, engineering, professional/administrative, and non-clinical healthcare support roles. Services are free to job seekers and paid by employers via bill-rate markups, placement fees, or monthly FlexDirect installments.
Product overview
ETS operates as two distinct organizations: (1) ETS Workforce Solutions is a staffing agency founded in 1983 offering multiple hiring models—Contract-to-Hire, Payroll Services, Direct Hire (Retained and Contingent Search), and FlexDirect™—across six specializations (Manufacturing, Skilled Trades, Industrial, Engineering, Professional & Administrative, and Healthcare Support) in Vermont, Upstate New York, and nationally; (2) ETS (Educational Testing Service) provides standardized testing products including the TOEFL iBT and GRE General Test, along with the Khan TED Institute AI degree partnership and the annual Human Progress Report research publication. Both organizations share the ETS name but serve different markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ready4Real: Workforce development program preparing young people with real-world skills, job readiness training, and direct employer connections
- Pro-Search
- FlexDirect
Products and services
- Contract-to-Hire Staffing Working-interview model in which candidates are on ETS payroll while the employer evaluates them, with the option to convert to direct hire without a separate conversion fee. Bill rate is typically 40-60% over base pay (example: $18/hr pay rate = $27.54/hr bill rate). Designed for employers that want to assess fit on the job before committing to a permanent hire.
- Payroll Services (Employer of Record) ETS acts as employer of record for candidates the client has already sourced, handling wages, payroll taxes, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, FICA, sick time, and HR administration for an approximately 25% markup over the base pay rate. Suited to employers that want to outsource payroll and HR admin without paying a recruiting fee.
- Direct Hire (Retained & Contingent Search) Permanent placement services offered as retained search (exclusive, dedicated recruiter, from 18% of first-year salary, billed in thirds with 1/3 upfront and the balance at milestones) and contingent search (non-exclusive, from 25% of first-year salary, paid on hire). Both options include a 90-day free replacement guarantee. Aimed at employers hiring for hard-to-fill or senior roles.
- FlexDirect Direct-hire talent solution that spreads the placement fee over monthly installments (3, 6, 9, 12, or 18 months) instead of a lump-sum recruiting fee, with no bill rate, no payroll markup, and no conversion fee. Total fees range from 12% of annual salary (3 months) to 25% (18 months). Lets employers hire on Day 1 with budget-friendly monthly payments.
- Manufacturing Staffing Staffing for factory and production roles including CNC operators, machine operators, production leads, quality inspectors, and assembly workers, with over 2,000 workers hired annually. Targets manufacturers needing high-volume production staffing across Vermont and Upstate New York, with national coverage for larger accounts.
- Skilled Trades Staffing
- Industrial Staffing
- Engineering Staffing
- Professional & Administrative Staffing
- Healthcare Support Staffing
Quantifiable outcome
- 48-hour fill time for most industrial jobs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use ETS
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ETS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ETS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Ready4Real Program PartnerscoreWorkforce development initiative helping young people build real job skills and meet real employers through hands-on training. Michele Armani serves as Ready4Real Executive Director. Partners with local employers to provide job readiness training and direct connections to employment.
- Veterans Initiative PartnerscoreProgram connecting veterans with meaningful careers through skills translation, dedicated recruiter support, and trusted employer partnerships. Helps veterans translate military skills into civilian career success.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ETS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aerotek: Industrial and manufacturing-focused staffing division of Allegis Group; directly comparable to ETS's Manufacturing, Skilled Trades, and Industrial segments across factory, warehouse, and skilled-trade roles.
- PeopleReady (TrueBlue): Specializes in industrial, warehouse, and on-demand staffing with a branch-led model similar to ETS's three-office regional footprint; competes directly for forklift drivers, warehouse, and light-industrial placements.
- Express Employment Professionals: Privately held, franchise-based staffing firm with strong regional office model; closely comparable to ETS in offering contract, direct hire, and specialized staffing across industrial and professional segments.
- Insight Global: Large privately held staffing firm with contract, contract-to-hire, and direct-placement offerings across IT, engineering, industrial, and professional verticals — overlapping ETS's engineering and professional recruiting capabilities.
- Staffmark: Regional staffing operator with strong industrial and commercial focus and a multi-office branch network; closely comparable to ETS's three-office Northeast model and manufacturing/warehouse mix.
Broad incumbents
- ManpowerGroup: Global staffing leader with broad industrial, professional, and RPO offerings; comparable to ETS in temporary and contract staffing breadth, though vastly larger and operating across many more geographies.
- Robert Half International: Public staffing firm specializing in professional, finance, accounting, and administrative placements; comparable to ETS's Pro-Search and Professional & Administrative verticals, though primarily office-based roles.
- Randstad: Global HR services and staffing leader with broad industrial and professional offerings; comparable in vertical breadth and employer-of-record capabilities, though operating at global scale.
- Kelly Services: Established staffing firm with industrial, professional, and education staffing lines; comparable to ETS's diversified hiring-model portfolio and Engineering/Industrial verticals.
Regional players
- HW Staffing Solutions: Northeast-U.S.-focused staffing firm with industrial, professional, and managed-service offerings; competes in overlapping geographies with ETS for manufacturing and administrative placements.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ETS social profiles
Digital presenceETS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ETS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
ETS subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
ETS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ETS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ETS
What does ETS do?
ETS Workforce Solutions is a staffing agency that places workers with employers across Vermont, Upstate New York, and nationally through five hiring models: contract-to-hire, payroll/employer-of-record, retained direct-hire search, contingent direct-hire search, and FlexDirect installment-based direct hire. Its placements span manufacturing, skilled trades, industrial/warehouse, engineering, professional/administrative, and non-clinical healthcare support roles. Services are free to job seekers and paid by employers via bill-rate markups, placement fees, or monthly FlexDirect installments.
Is ETS a public or private company?
ETS is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was ETS founded?
ETS was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ETS based?
ETS is headquartered in Plattsburgh, United States, in the North America region.
How does ETS make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Staffing and Recruitment Services are the primary driver. The others are payroll Services / Employer of Record.
Who are ETS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aerotek, PeopleReady (TrueBlue), Express Employment Professionals, Insight Global and Staffmark. Broad incumbents are ManpowerGroup, Robert Half International, Randstad and Kelly Services. HW Staffing Solutions is listed as a regional player.
Does ETS have an API?
No public API is recorded for ETS.
What industry is ETS in?
ETS's product category is Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAKAJ, Workforce Management & Scheduling Outsourcing (Non-payroll), with a secondary code of BPACAIAB, Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS). Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.