On the Job

Richard Westlund | 6/1/2005

In Florida the "jobless recovery" is officially over, says Ann Machado, president and CEO of Creative Staffing, a Miami staffing firm celebrating its 20th anniversary. "For the past three years, companies haven't wanted to invest in additional workers," she says. "But today, the demand for staffing is back to pre-2001 levels. We're expecting a good solid year of growth."
ANN MACHADO
Education: Graduate of London Teachers College, University of Southwestern Ontario
Quote: "I want everyone in Miami to do a little bit more to make this community a better place for everyone who lives here or visits us. That's all it would take to make Miami a world-class city."
Community activities: Board member, Florida Staffing Association and United Way of Miami-Dade County; president, Board of Advisors, St. Thomas University; treasurer, Women's Fund of Miami-Dade County; chair, Rethink and Reuse (children's art recycling program); member, YWCA of Greater Miami; member, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
Hidden talents: Snow skiing and gourmet cooking.
Founded in 1985, Creative Staffing now has three full-service offices in Miami-Dade and Broward, as well as two on-site corporate locations. Machado plans to open an office this year in Fort Lauderdale, perhaps in the Cypress Creek market. The company has about 25 full-time employees with about 4,000 active staffers available for temporary, project or permanent positions.
Known for her industry leadership and community involvement, Machado, 57, has won a string of awards through the years, including National Woman Entrepreneur of the Year (YWCA of the USA, 1998) and Blue Chip Enterprise Award (Nations Business and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 1994).
"She follows the trends, understands the legislative issues and is really committed to helping individual staffers as well as her clients," says Henry Graeber, president of Florida Staffing Association and Pro Image Solutions in Altamonte Springs.
For companies looking to hire for the first time in several years, Machado says the biggest challenge is accepting today's higher salary ranges. "Employers haven't adjusted their thinking yet. As a business owner, you want to be at market. You don't want to be the lowest payer, or you'll have turnover, and that costs money."

Tags: Miami-Dade