J-Ray

What J-Ray does

J-Ray, Inc. is a privately-held boutique recruiting network founded in 2003 by Jeff Raymond and headquartered at 26565 West Agoura Road, Suite 200, Calabasas, California. The firm connects top industry talent with employers across wholesale, retail, eCommerce, apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, beauty, and consumer goods sectors, with functional coverage spanning Sales, Marketing, Operations, Production/Sourcing, Creative Design, Technical Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Purchasing, Finance, Logistics, Human Resources, and Customer Service. J-Ray differentiates itself through access to passive candidates—estimated at roughly 75% of the workforce and not visible on resume databases or job advertisements—enabled by what the company describes as a long-tenured, relationship-driven network and personal accessibility outside standard business hours.

Name

J-Ray

Legal name

J-Ray, Inc.

Website

https://j-rayinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

J-Ray, Inc. is a privately-held, Calabasas-based boutique recruiting network that places passive candidates into sales, marketing, design, operations, and supply chain roles at wholesale, retail, eCommerce, apparel, and consumer goods employers, primarily in Southern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Calabasas

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Recruiting/Staffing Services: J-Ray provides recruiting services to employers seeking to fill positions across various functions including Sales, Marketing, Operations, Production/Sourcing, Creative Design, Technical Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Purchasing, Finance, Logistics, Human Resources, and Customer Service. The company markets itself as a lower-cost alternative for strategically recruiting top industry talent. Revenue is generated through successful placement fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

J-Ray, Inc. is a boutique recruiting network that places professionals with employers in wholesale, retail, eCommerce, apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, beauty, and consumer goods sectors. The firm recruits for roles spanning Sales, Marketing, Operations, Production/Sourcing, Creative and Technical Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Purchasing, Finance, Logistics, HR, and Customer Service. Revenue is generated through successful placement fees charged to employer clients.

Product overview

J-Ray, Inc. is a recruiting and staffing agency operating as a recruiting network that connects top industry talent with employers in the wholesale, retail, eCommerce, apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, beauty, and consumer goods sectors. The company provides staffing services across multiple functional areas including Sales, Marketing, Operations, Production/Sourcing, Creative Design, Technical Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Purchasing, Finance, Logistics, Human Resources, and Customer Service. Their core service offering involves sourcing and placing candidates in various positions, handling confidential candidate information with discretion, and maintaining long-term relationships with both candidates and employers rather than pursuing quick placements. The company specializes in reaching passive candidates who are not actively visible on resume databases, comprising roughly 75% of the workforce they target.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruiting and Placement Services End-to-end recruiting and placement service for employer clients in wholesale, retail, eCommerce, apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, beauty, and consumer goods, sourcing pre-qualified talent—including passive candidates not visible on resume databases—for roles in Sales, Marketing, Operations, Production/Sourcing, Creative and Technical Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Purchasing, Finance, Logistics, HR, and Customer Service. Revenue is earned through successful placement fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of the workforce consists of passive candidates not visible on resume databases or job ads

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Vintage Staffing Solutions / StyleCareersApparel: Online job board and recruiting community focused exclusively on fashion, apparel, and retail careers. Adjacent competitor serving the same candidate pool J-Ray draws its 75% passive candidates from.

Broad incumbents

• Kforce Inc. National staffing firm placing technology, finance, and professional talent. Overlaps with J-Ray on Finance, HR, and Operations placements within retail/consumer goods clients.
• Korn Ferry: Global executive search and talent advisory firm with dedicated consumer and retail practices. Competes with J-Ray for senior retail/apparel talent but operates at a vastly larger scale and price point.
• Insight Global: Large staffing and recruiting firm serving multiple verticals including retail and consumer goods. Competes with J-Ray on broader functional roles, though lacks J-Ray's vertical specialization in apparel/fashion.
• Robert Half International: Large generalist staffing firm placing finance, accounting, marketing, HR, and administrative talent. Overlaps with J-Ray on Finance, HR, Operations, and Customer Service placements in retail/consumer goods.

Direct peers

• Atrium (formerly The Atrium Agency): Recruiting and staffing firm specializing in fashion, retail, beauty, and consumer goods, with strong NYC presence. Comparable to J-Ray on apparel/beauty vertical focus and boutique delivery model.
• 24 Seven Talent: Specialized creative, marketing, and fashion recruiting firm placing talent across apparel, beauty, retail, and consumer goods. Most direct peer to J-Ray given overlapping verticals (apparel, footwear, beauty) and similar boutique relationship-led model.
• The Execu|Search Group: Boutique recruiting firm serving fashion, retail, consumer goods, and beauty companies on East Coast. Direct comparable to J-Ray on apparel/retail verticals and boutique relationship model.
• The Bowerman Group: Fashion and apparel-focused executive search firm specializing in retail, apparel, footwear, and consumer goods placements. Closely matches J-Ray's vertical focus and mid-market employer client base.
• Aquent: Staffing and recruiting firm focused on marketing, creative, design, and digital talent with strong apparel/retail exposure. Overlaps with J-Ray on Creative Design, Technical Design, and Marketing placements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/j-ray-inc.-recruiting-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 J-Ray