Alternative Staffing

What Alternative Staffing does

Alternative Staffing Inc. is a privately held, locally owned staffing agency founded in 1993 by Jan Cappellini and Craig Lake and headquartered at 1505 Remount Road in North Charleston, South Carolina. The company provides temporary, temporary-to-permanent, direct hire, payroll/HR, and forklift certification services to employers across the Charleston Lowcountry region, with branch offices in North Charleston, Summerville, and Orangeburg. Its primary customer segments are industrial and manufacturing employers—serving roles such as assembly line workers, CNC machinists, forklift operators, quality control inspectors, warehouse associates, and maintenance technicians—with a secondary line in office and clerical staffing. Documented customers include Palmetto Pile Driving (a mid-market construction client since the mid-1990s) and ProPac, Inc. (enterprise manufacturing/logistics), alongside case-study accounts in food manufacturing, warehouse/3PL, and legacy industrial operations.

The company's core service portfolio comprises seven integrated offerings: Industrial/Manufacturing Staffing, Office/Clerical Staffing, Temporary Staffing Solutions, Temporary-to-Permanent Staffing, Direct Hire Placement, Payroll and HR Services, and Forklift Certification training delivered in partnership with the National Safety Council. Underlying operations run on the OnTempWorks workforce management platform (employee login, electronic onboarding, payroll), supplemented by a proprietary 3-Phase Hiring Process that evaluates candidates across Skills Assessment, Reliability/Professionalism, and Long-Term Fit, and by third-party pre-employment assessments including Wonderlic, Isograd, and a typing test. Documented candidate quality outcomes include a 99%+ temporary employee return rate and client-side gains of 25-30% in turnover reduction and 20-44% in throughput and fill rates.

Alternative Staffing generates revenue primarily through markup on billable hourly wages for temporary placements, supplemented by flat placement fees for direct hire, managed services fees for payroll/HR outsourcing, and professional services fees for forklift certification training; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led, driven by direct employer relationships, community involvement (Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Lowcountry Local First), professional association memberships (ASA, SHRM, SCSA, NISA), and a public-facing website job board that also serves job seekers via in-person onboarding at branch offices. The business has operated continuously for 30+ years without disclosed M&A, funding rounds, parent company, or geographic expansion beyond the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Name

Alternative Staffing

Legal name

Alternative Staffing Inc.

Website

https://alternativestaffing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Alternative Staffing is a locally-owned, Charleston-based staffing agency founded in 1993 providing temporary, temp-to-permanent, direct hire, payroll/HR, and forklift certification services primarily for industrial/manufacturing and office/clerical employers across the South Carolina Lowcountry through three branch offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Staffing Services

NAICS

Temporary Help Services (561320), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Payroll Services (541214)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Generalist Staffing Agencies (BPACACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Temp-to-Hire Staffing (BPACACAG), Administrative, Clerical & Office Support Direct Hire (BPACAFAF), Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)

Keywords

• Industrial staffing services
• Temporary workforce solutions
• Direct hire placement
• Clerical staffing agency
• Payroll administration services

Headquarters

HQ city

North Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Temporary Staffing Services: Provides temporary workers to employers for short-term assignments, seasonal peaks, or project-based needs. The company handles payroll, taxes, benefits administration, and workers' compensation.
2. Temporary-to-Permanent Staffing: Allows employers to evaluate workers on a trial basis before making permanent hiring decisions. Converts temporary assignments into permanent placements.
3. Direct Hire Placement: Recruitment service finding permanent employees for client companies. Screens, interviews, and presents qualified candidates for full-time positions.
4. Payroll and HR Services: Outsourced payroll processing and HR administration services for clients. Handles payroll, compliance, and employment administration.
5. Forklift Certification Training: Training program in partnership with National Safety Council providing forklift operator certification to employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Alternative Staffing is a locally owned and operated staffing agency that sources, screens, and places temporary, temporary-to-permanent, and direct hire workers for industrial/manufacturing and office/clerical employers in the Charleston, SC Lowcountry region. The firm handles payroll administration, benefits, workers' compensation, and HR compliance for its placed workforce and supplements placements with National Safety Council-aligned forklift operator certification training. A proprietary 3-Phase Hiring Process evaluates candidates on skills, reliability, and long-term fit to drive a 99%+ temporary employee return rate.

Product overview

Alternative Staffing is a locally-owned staffing solutions provider operating since 1993, offering a comprehensive suite of workforce services centered on industrial manufacturing and office/clerical staffing. The core offering consists of six integrated staffing service lines: Industrial/Manufacturing Staffing, Office/Clerical Staffing, Temporary Staffing Solutions, Temporary-to-Permanent Staffing, Direct Hire Placement, and Payroll and HR Services. Supporting these staffing services is a Forklift Certification training program developed in partnership with the National Safety Council. The company distinguishes itself through its proprietary 3-Phase Hiring Process methodology that evaluates candidates across character, reliability, and skill dimensions. The firm serves the Charleston, SC metropolitan area and surrounding Lowcountry communities including North Charleston, Summerville, Goose Creek, Mount Pleasant, Orangeburg, and Savannah.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial / Manufacturing Staffing Provides manufacturing businesses in the Charleston area with dependable associates possessing required skills to maintain productivity, with support for production quotas, scheduling, and demand management across assembly, CNC machining, forklift operations, quality control, maintenance, and production supervision roles.
• Office / Clerical Staffing

Quantifiable outcome

• 99%+ of temporary employees invited back to original assignments
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charleston Metro Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Active member of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, a membership organization representing over 1,600 members and 160,000 professionals. Serves as a collective voice for business advancement in the Charleston region.
• American Staffing AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023National trade association for the staffing industry. Membership provides industry resources, advocacy, and credibility for staffing companies.
• Society for Human Resource ManagementcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Professional association for HR professionals. Membership connects the company with HR leaders and provides resources for workforce management expertise.
• South Carolina Staffing AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023State-level staffing industry association representing staffing companies operating in South Carolina. Provides advocacy and networking at the state level.
• National Independent Staffing AssociationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Association representing independent staffing companies. Provides industry resources and networking opportunities for non-franchised staffing firms.
• Rotary Club of North CharlestonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Service organization serving the North Charleston community to promote literacy, better health, and greater understanding. Reflects company's community involvement values.
• Lowcountry Local FirstminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Organization advancing economic prosperity and local ownership through initiatives that build community wealth and wellbeing. Supports local business community.
• National Safety CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership for forklift certification program. Alternative Staffing's forklift training program adheres to guidelines and standards set by the NSC, covering forklift safety guidelines, operating procedures, regulatory compliance, and practical training.
• Essential StaffCAREcoreOthers · 1 January 2023Health benefits provider offering health insurance plans to employees of Alternative Staffing. Employees become eligible for health benefits through Essential StaffCARE.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aerotek: Industrial and manufacturing staffing specialist owned by Allegis Group. Competes head-to-head for the same industrial customer base in Charleston and across the Southeast.
• Hire Dynamics: Southeast US-based staffing firm focused on industrial, warehouse, and clerical placements with a multi-branch model similar to Alternative Staffing. Directly comparable on geography, customer mix, and service lines.
• Snelling Staffing: Staffing franchise offering temporary, temp-to-hire, direct hire, and payroll. Overlaps with Alternative Staffing across both industrial and office/clerical staffing categories.
• Express Employment Professionals: Franchised staffing network providing temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire across industrial and office. Directly comparable service mix; Alternative Staffing was founded by former franchised-staffing operators explicitly competing against this model.

Regional players

• TRC Staffing Services: Regional staffing firm operating across the Southeast US with industrial, clerical, and professional placements. Geographic overlap and similar customer profile to Alternative Staffing.

Broad incumbents

• Kelly Services: National staffing provider with industrial, clerical, and professional offerings. Comparable across the temp and temp-to-hire service lines.
• Robert Half: National staffing incumbent with broad office/admin and professional placement capabilities. Comparable on the office/clerical side and on direct-hire placements for white-collar roles.
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing leader offering temporary, permanent, and workforce solutions across industrial and office. Represents the upper-bound competitor Alternative Staffing faces for enterprise accounts.
• Adecco: One of the world's largest staffing firms with deep industrial and office staffing offerings. Competes for large Charleston-area manufacturers and logistics employers.
• Randstad: Global staffing leader with extensive industrial and clerical staffing operations in the US. Sets the competitive pricing baseline Alternative Staffing must match on larger accounts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alt_staffing
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlternativeStaffing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Alternative Staffing