Alternative Staffing
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersNorth Charleston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Alternative Staffing firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Alternative Staffing industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Alternative Staffing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Alternative Staffing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- 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.
- Temporary-to-Permanent Staffing: Allows employers to evaluate workers on a trial basis before making permanent hiring decisions. Converts temporary assignments into permanent placements.
- Direct Hire Placement: Recruitment service finding permanent employees for client companies. Screens, interviews, and presents qualified candidates for full-time positions.
- Payroll and HR Services: Outsourced payroll processing and HR administration services for clients. Handles payroll, compliance, and employment administration.
- Forklift Certification Training: Training program in partnership with National Safety Council providing forklift operator certification to employees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Staffing services are provided on a custom quote basis |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Alternative Staffing product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Alternative Staffing
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Alternative Staffing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature2 records
Alternative Staffing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Charleston Metro Chamber of CommercecoreActive 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 AssociationcoreNational trade association for the staffing industry. Membership provides industry resources, advocacy, and credibility for staffing companies.
- Society for Human Resource ManagementcoreProfessional association for HR professionals. Membership connects the company with HR leaders and provides resources for workforce management expertise.
- South Carolina Staffing AssociationcoreState-level staffing industry association representing staffing companies operating in South Carolina. Provides advocacy and networking at the state level.
- National Independent Staffing AssociationminorAssociation representing independent staffing companies. Provides industry resources and networking opportunities for non-franchised staffing firms.
- Rotary Club of North CharlestonminorService organization serving the North Charleston community to promote literacy, better health, and greater understanding. Reflects company's community involvement values.
- Lowcountry Local FirstminorOrganization advancing economic prosperity and local ownership through initiatives that build community wealth and wellbeing. Supports local business community.
- National Safety CouncilcorePartnership 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 StaffCAREcoreHealth 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
Alternative Staffing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Alternative Staffing social profiles
Digital presenceAlternative Staffing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alternative Staffing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Alternative Staffing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alternative Staffing 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 Alternative Staffing
What does Alternative Staffing do?
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.
Is Alternative Staffing a public or private company?
Alternative Staffing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alternative Staffing founded?
Alternative Staffing was founded in 1993. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Alternative Staffing based?
Alternative Staffing is headquartered in North Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alternative Staffing make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Temporary Staffing Services are the primary driver. The others are temporary-to-Permanent Staffing, direct Hire Placement, payroll and HR Services and forklift Certification Training.
Who are Alternative Staffing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aerotek, Hire Dynamics, Snelling Staffing and Express Employment Professionals. TRC Staffing Services is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Kelly Services, Robert Half, ManpowerGroup, Adecco and Randstad.
Does Alternative Staffing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alternative Staffing.
What industry is Alternative Staffing in?
Alternative Staffing's product category is Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACACAH, Local & Regional Generalist Staffing Agencies, with a secondary code of BPACACAG, Temp-to-Hire Staffing. Its NAICS code is 561320 and its SIC code is 7361.