Our Story
Design Group Staffing's story begins with one young man who had the entrepreneurial drive to take a calculated risk early in his career. Setting big goals, 'doing what he says he will do', and surrounding himself with great leaders resulted in the success and the continued growth of the largest privately-held employment services company in Canada.
Coming to Canada
After graduating with a diploma in Electrical Engineering from a Technical College in Sydney, Australia, Mike Duff, President & CEO of Design Group Staffing Inc. set out on a one-year working holiday in Canada. He landed in Toronto and visited an employment firm. It was not long before he was offered a three month assignment working on the design of a new steel mill in Edmonton, Alberta.
It was the early 1970's. Alberta was booming and it was an exciting place to be. After his first contract, Mike began working with a worldwide engineering, construction and consulting firm. It was there that he realized his ability to communicate effectively and understand the dynamics of matching people to opportunity.
Our first office
In 1976, help wanted signs were everywhere. Alberta was as it is today, the province of opportunity. Engineering and construction staff were at a premium, giving way for the opportunity to establish Design Group Staffing Inc. The company was formed to recruit technical and professional staff. The first 20 year tenure of business was full of successes and challenges. The company survived two recessions, a stock market meltdown, and oil prices plummeting to under $10 dollars a barrel.
1996 - A pivotal change "Setting a big goal"
Design Group Staffing Inc underwent a pivotal change in 1996 thanks to an inspiring business visioning and planning session comprised of the company's leadership group. A target was set to triple the size of the company within five years. To achieve this, the company expanded its services and opened additional divisions including Information Technology, Accounting, Administrative, and Clerical, among others. The flagship engineering and technical business continued to flourish under the division name Design Group.
Doing what we say we'll do
Design Group Staffing Inc set out to do what we said we would do. With an aligned leadership team in place motivated by a clear vision, the company and the divisions set achievable annual goals. These actions have resulted in exponential growth.
Today
There is no end in sight to our story. Today, Design Group Staffing Inc operates in multiple offices across Canada. The company employs over 300 talented internal recruitment staff and payrolls in excess of 3000 temporary and contract workers at client sites. Our exponential growth continues.