Aureus Group

Staffing Agencies from Around Omaha Report Positive Trends in Employment

(C&A Industries, Inc.)

Midlands Business Journal, September 25, 2009

Staffing firms from around Omaha each paint a slightly different picture of the current Omaha employment landscape, but they all report seeing that things are starting to take a turn for the better as more companies look for the right people to fill holes left when employees were cutback in the recent year. When the recession started, many companies cut employes that weren't necessarily unskilled, just bad fits for that particular company or job. Now companies are taking advantage of the surplus of good people. C&A Industries is an Omaha staffing and recruiting company that has seen positive signs in recent hiring trends. Scot Thompson, CEO, said that while businesses are still less interested in expanding, even with the large pool of quality applicants to draw from, there is some strategic hiring of senior-level positions taking place. "The idea of having the right people in your organization never goes out of style," Thompson said. "Their headcounts may not be growing, but they may be upgrading the staff that they have." C&A has also seen an increase in demand for applicants in the light industrial and manufacturing areas. Thompson said that while there is a very positive and sustainable trend in Omaha, the new "normal" is yet to be seen.

Changes in the Economy Have Companies Practicing Conservatism in Hiring

(C&A Industries, Inc.)

Midlands Business Journal, September 4, 2009

Changes in the economy have created changes in many aspects of how a company operates, including its hiring practices. Scot Thompson, president and CEO of C&A Industries, said the company has noticed a contraction in the marketplace. "This is logically brought on by an increased conservatism of companies considering expanding their workforce," he said. "This conservatism couples with reduced shifts and right sizing has caused an influx in the number of people looking for employment in a time which the desire to increase headcount is decreasing. The result is a more difficult job market." Thompson said that while auto and financial industries are soft, he has seen an increased hiring interest in the health care and industrial sectors. He also said the time to find a new position is lengthening for many job seekers. "There are more people vying for the same position," he said. "And companies are taking longer to make a hiring decision, often because of the fact that there are more quality candidates from which to choose and organizations are being much more conscious and cautious of incremental spending." While companies may hesitate to add to the headcount, Thompson said, companies do have interest in upgrading existing staff and positions. "Key managerial and executive personnel positions remain strong relative to other opportunities," he said.

Thompson Appointed President and CEO of C&A Industries, Inc.

(C&A Industries, Inc.)

August 7, 2009

C&A Industries, a national leader in staffing and recruitment, has named Scot Thompson as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Omaha-based company. Thompson succeeds founder Larry Courtnage, who will assume the role of Chairman of the 40 year-old firm, along with his wife and business partner, Kathy Wolf-Courtnage, who will serve as Vice Chairperson.

"We have been working toward this transition and I am very pleased to make it official," said Courtnage. "I've spent my entire career building C&A and Kathy and I have worked hard to make certain the company has the foundation in place to entrust its future well beyond our involvement and lifetime. Scot's continued leadership and role as CEO is an essential component to ensuring the long-term success of our organization".

During his tenure with C&A, Thompson has been instrumental in strategically transforming the company into one of the largest human capital management firms in the country, earning a market-leading position in nearly every market it serves. Under his leadership and vision, C&A divisions have significantly expanded their market share as well as successfully entered new niche markets, most significantly in the healthcare segment through the Aureus Medical Group portfolio, with the addition of nursing, advanced practice and physician search divisions, a managed services group, as well as various modalities in the allied health field, including medical laboratory, therapy, cardiopulmonary, and pharmacy.

"Scot's leadership has been paramount to our significant growth over the past decade as well as in transforming our organization into one of national prominence", said Courtnage. "With his guidance, Aureus Medical has grown to be the ninth largest healthcare staffing firm in the nation, with our Allied Health division leading the entire industry, and our Nursing division, established just eight years ago, ranking in the top five."

Wolf-Courtnage adds, "Scot's contribution in building a successful and experienced management team, in addition to molding the company's culture that has resulted in C&A being recognized as one of the Best Places to Work, makes him the ideal choice to lead C&A to future levels of success."

Prior to joining C&A as Chief Operating Officer in 2000, Thompson had a 12-year career with Valmont Industries, having held various positions in corporate finance, marketing, sales, and management.

"I look forward to continuing to build upon what Larry and Kathy have established over the course of the past four decades, further strengthening our reputation and market position as one of the finest and most respected staffing and recruitment firms in the nation," said Thompson. "With the staffing industry projected to grow 80% faster than all industries combined over the coming decade, we are uniquely positioned for expansive growth. We have the infrastructure in place, significant breadth and scope of service offerings, a commitment to excellence, and an exceptional group of employees - all extraordinary ingredients for a very promising future."

Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He and his wife, Ellen, are the parents of two daughters and are active in a number of philanthropic endeavors.

Escalating work-related pressures putting the squeeze on Americans' holidays

Midlands Business Journal, July 17, 2009

Growing up in Europe, Nuria Archer enjoyed a full month of paid vacation time in addition to a dozen paid holidays throughout the year. Thanks to her experience placing accounting and finance professionals as a sales manager for Aureus Group, a division of Omaha-based C&A Industries, and her cross-cultural perspective, she understands what virtual trip planner Expedia recently reported: Americans are the least likely of all countries surveyed in the company's Vacation Deprivation study to take a holiday. "I talk to employers and employees all day long and they definitely sound happier when they come back from vacation," Archer said. She adds, "As human beings we need time to revitalize and charge up batteries. I feel that productivity and focus tend to be higher after vacation time." According to the Expedia study, 34 percent of Americans will forgo their vacation days and cite increasing work-related pressures. In addition, Americans average 13 days of time off a year compared to 20 or more days in Canada and European countries. Americans lose three days a year on average which taken together total 436 million unused vacation days, valued at $63 billion, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dr. Donald Darst, internal medicine specialist at The University Medical Center says that when the body doesn't get the rest it needs from breaks like a vacation, it can get worn down, resulting in chronic fatigue, headaches, back pain and shortness of breath. Over time people can develop hypertension, irritable colon, coronary heart disease and daily headaches. Taking control of the situation by finding ways to make your work environment less stressful, staying active and fit, and using your allotted vacation time will help reduce adverse work-related health conditions.

C&A Industries: Navigating the Next 40 Years

(C&A Industries, Inc.)

B2B Magazine, July 1, 2009

Larry Courtnage draws parallels between his passion for flying and his success in business. Just as he has navigated the skies in his private airplane for years, he has created new paths and circumvented obstacles along the way in building C&A Industries into one of the country's top staffing agencies. While the journey over the past 40 years has been one full of learning experiences along with successes and failures, Courtnage, along with wife Kathy Wolf, daughter Vicki Witovski, stepsons Craig Wolf and Mark Wolf, and Chief Operating Officer Scot Thompson have laid a strong foundation for whatever comes in the next four decades and beyond. Full story, page 8

HR Personnel Face Flood of Applications in Midst of Own Departmental Cutback

Midlands Business Journal, June 26, 2009

The first quarter of 2009, one Omaha company had 6000 applicants jockeying for one of 170 positions available nationwide at any given time. To better manage the flow of applications, some companies have brought in other members of the HR department to help with the process. As the recession has continued to unfold, a series of layoffs have occurred - but some of these are not true reductions in force, said Nuria Archer, sales manager at professional recruiting firm Aureus Group. "Some companies have taken the opportunity to 'trim the fat' or letting the bottom 10 percent go," she said. "It is my belief that these companies turned attention to employee performance and downsized weak producers. Desperate times call for desperate measures and they no longer have the luxury to carry the extra weight and the need for raising the bar is imminent." With an overflow of candidates claiming to be victims of layoffs, Archer said, companies turn to firms like Aureus to investigate if the candidate was truly a layoff or part of the bottom 10 percent. "The employer no longer has the time to qualify countless amounts of resumes they receive per posted position and beg we use our resources to find the top three candidates," she said. "The position is out there and they need to fill it quickly." Archer said clients have also turned to staffing firms as a way to keep their top, chose talent by bringing in temporary "relief" staff so existing talent won't become overextended and start to look elsewhere for employment, she said. "Specific projects need to be accomplished and the current workforce is not capable of getting it done, due to the overflow they are already carrying out," Archer said.

Companies Good Health Depends Upon Recruiting, Employee Retaining Practices

Midlands Business Journal, June 26, 2009

Every company should strive to recruit top talent and keep those employees happy for the long haul. Pursuing these objectives helps businesses stay strong and reach top performance goals. Chris Carlson, regional manager at Aureus Group, believes one of the most effective recruiting tools is a well-placed employee referral program. "Engaged top talent referring former co-workers, employees, bosses and friends is a true indicator of a productive and happy workforce," she said. "Studies continue to show new recruits, who have been referred by an employee, generally tend to stay longer. "In my opinion, there are three commonalities that every successful leader does to retain top talent," Carlson said. They communicate vision, objectives, and career path honestly, while empowering top performers to take ownership of their function in the organization and the compensate fairly, she said. Carlson also pointed out that the emerging workforce is using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and similar sites, so employers that are proactive in learning how to use these tools to recruit and screen candidates, or even market services, will gain an edge on competitors. "Constant and never ending improvement is an old fashioned work ethic that is back in style," she said. "We all need to open ourselves to new ways to conduct business."

C&A Industries Expands Divisions, Services Throughout 40-Year History

(C&A Industries)

Midlands Business Journal, June 12, 2009

In 1969 the forerunner to C&A Industries was a one-person venture specializing in matching companies with engineering and architecture talent. How the organization's 400 team members work for four specialized staffing firms that match companies and talent across fields - from accounting to nursing. It also has three staffing-related affiliates, two nonprofits and status as one of the top 10 medical staffing companies in the country. "What we're proud of is that we took an entrepreneurial operation, which was a ma and pa operation, and built it into a corporate structure that has a national reach, a national audience, and is fairly well-known nationally," said founder, CEO and owner Larry Courtnage, as he reflected on the company turning 40 this year. "That's good for us, that's good for Omaha, it's good for the economy and it proves that Omaha can do it." Full story

Singing the Praises of C&A Industries

(C&A Industries)

Omaha World-Herald, May 3, 2009

Think about your company's mission statement. Then think about how it would sound if set to music. That's what an employee of C&A Industries did for his employer. He sang and played his guitar in a mini-episode on a special Web site produced by company staff. The site is modeled after the television sitcom The Office.

Go to www.auroffice.com and you'll see dancing workers and accountants bobbing their heads to music. All the performers on the Web site are C&A employees. The musical mission statement is a mouthful: To be the staffing provider and employer of choice by helping people and companies achieve their goals.

"If we find the perfect person for them, that helps companies achieve their corporate goals," says Scot Thompson, chief operating officer for C&A Industries. "That's powerful."

C&A's team spirit has created a culture that won the privately held company a place among the top five large-size companies in the "Best Places to Work" Omaha survey and puts it among the nation's 10 largest health care staffing firms.

Togetherness is nurtured in many ways - from a recognition program to an online employee-suggestion program. C&A also offers an employee discount program at area businesses and an in-house travel agency. Because Thompson believes family is the priority in employees' lives, he keeps activities family-focused, such as the annual holiday carnival, Halloween trick-or-treat party and a summer outing.

"One of many things that makes our work force unique is they are very philanthropic," Thompson says. Employees hold food drives and fundraising events that benefit various charities. They also volunteer their time. C&A sponsors two nonprofit organizations. The Kim Foundation focuses on improving lives through mental health. Career Outreach offers free employment counseling and seminars to community and civic groups.

The company started a health and wellness program in 2003 and is a member of the Wellness Council of the Midlands, or WELCOM. In 2007, the company placed in the silver category in the WELCOM competition. C&A's wellness program includes an annual health fair and "Weigh-to-Goal," a three-month weight-loss competition that ended in April. Participating employees lost more than 680 pounds.

With Some Refinements, Demand is Staying Strong for Local IT Professionals

Midlands Business Journal, April 10, 2009

IT professionals are still in demand, but the economy and other factors have wrought subtle changes in what employers want, staffing experts say. "The IT job market is not as bad during this recession as it was in the early 1990sor later when the dot.com bubble burst," said Chris Carlson, regional manager of Aureus Group. "There is a larger contract work force and the hiring process is getting longer as more companies require numerous individuals, possibly including members of their board, to okay a hire. "You have to keep in mind that the overall unemployment rate is February was 8.1 percent, but for college graduates it was just 4.1 percent according to Bureau of Labor Statistics," she said. College students who plan a career in IT should pursue practical experience while they complete their degrees. Desirable skill sets for the present and the future, include programming and applications development, Carlson said. For example, "Demand is red-hot now for people with AJAX, .Net, Java and PHP skills," she said. "There will always be a demand for IT professionals with core security credentials, such as intrusion-detection capabilities and government security clearances, but database and wireless security projects will drive that demand even higher this year," she said. A flurry of activity among businesses to upgrade or relocate data centers to take advantage of virtualization and other recent data automation has resulted in more recruitment of experienced mainframe technicians to apply the same type of industrial-strength computing disciplines they've acquired to distributed systems, Carlson said.

C&A Industries Named Among Best Employment Agencies

(C&A Industries)

B2B Quarterly, April 1, 2009

C&A Industries, Inc., parent company to a portfolio of leading staffing and recruiting firms, has been named among the top employment agencies in B2B Quarterly's Spring 2009 issue. Based on reader's vote, B2B Quarterly awards the "Best of" in several categories, including professional services, business services, financial services, building services and travel & event planning.

B2B Quarterly is Greater Omaha's premiere business publication, featuring the latest business developments as well as features on Omaha's most prominent business leaders.

Planning and Communication are Important for Smooth Transitioning

Midlands Business Journal, January 30, 2009

Business successions may result in disruption of a company's operation, but the operation can continue smoothly with careful planning and communication, experts say. Authentic communication is essential to managing any changes, said Chris Carlson, regional manager of Aureus Group, a division of C&A Industries. The one common thread of successful succession planning and leadership change is clear, concise, consistent and genuine communication, Carlson said. Leaders are given more leeway when their team trusts them and understands the direction. "Leadership matters. It motivates people beyond their limitations, unleashes energy, and gives people direction, synchronizing their efforts," Carlson said. The quality of leadership at every level has a huge impact on everyday operations and determines every worker's level of engagement. Communicating honestly will give employees a clear understanding of the direction of the company. "Employees will work smarter and harder when they align their work with the vision of the organization," Carlson said.

C&A Industries Named Among Best Omaha Employers

(C&A Industries)

Omaha Magazine, January 5, 2009

C&A Industries, Inc., parent company to a portfolio of leading staffing and recruiting firms, has been named among the top employers in Omaha Magazine.

C&A made the exclusive list, along with PayPal and First National Bank of Omaha. The announcement is featured in the magazine's January/February 2009 "Best of Omaha" issue.

Since 1992, Omaha Magazine has been awarding, based on public vote, the "Best of" in a wide variety of categories, including restaurants, arts & culture, retail, and more.

Omaha Magazine is a regional lifestyle publication that serves a readership of more than 100,000. For more than 20 years, Omaha Magazine brings its readers captivating stories on area politics, home and garden, leisure life, food and dining, style, the arts, entertainment and travel, as well as service articles and compelling features on the area's most interesting people and places.