Ollis exec acquires J. Miles Personnel

fter three years as a manager at one of Springfield's best-known small businesses, Matt Scheihing's entrepreneurial urge won out.

Scheihing, who was chief operating officer at Ollis & Co., recently purchased Springfield-based J. Miles Personnel Services for an undisclosed amount from owner and founder Jean Miles. The 63-year-old, who has two daughters and three granddaughters in the Springfield area, said she's retiring to spend more time with family after 23 years of running the recruiting and placement firm at 3029 E. Sunshine St, Ste. A.

Kingsley Group brokered the transaction, which closed Nov. 14.

Scheihing, 37, joined Ollis & Co. in 2005 as general manager and was promoted to the newly created position of chief operating officer in mid-2007, said Ollis President and CEO Richard Ollis. As the junior member of the Ollis management team, Scheihing supervised about 30 employees comprising the agency's sales team and support staff.

Ollis said Scheihing's departure was somewhat unexpected.

"In the last month or so, Matt communicated to me that he was considering a change," Ollis said. "At first, you're a little surprised, but - at the same time - we're excited for Matt. ... We're an employee-owned company, so we very much believe in entrepreneurship. We wish him well."

Ollis said there are no plans to hire a new COO. "We're ... transitioning those duties to our existing management team," he said.

National reach

Scheihing entered the insurance industry after 10 years in the food equipment business, and he said 2008 was the right time for another career transition. Scheihing's entrepreneurial quest ramped up about three months ago, when he enlisted Kingsley Group.

"With my business education and my management experience and background, it seemed like the next logical step for me to own my own company," Scheihing said.

Scheihing quickly zeroed in on J. Miles - a firm that recruits employees for Fortune 500 food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers throughout the country. Acquiring the company would enable him to stay near family in Springfield and remain in an office that primarily corresponds with clients through electronic means.

Scheihing made the purchase with a loan from Liberty Bank that he said carried an attractive interest rate, though he would not disclose the rate.

J. Miles Personnel may be a small business, but the firm has strong name recognition outside southwest Missouri, Scheihing said.

Miles, who opened J. Miles Personnel in 1985 after 17 years with Dorsey A. Love and Associates Inc. recruitment firm, said the volume of companies using her firm's services grew significantly over time, though she declined to specify how many. The staff, however, has remained relatively small with just three full-time employees and one part-timer. Manager Julie Alexander has been with J. Miles Personnel since 1986, and office administrator Deanna Welsh joined the firm in 1997.

Miles, who has agreed to stay on as a consultant for the next year, is assisting Scheihing with the changeover, which she said involves an overwhelming amount of paperwork.

"This is a fairly complex business with clients and relationships, so we're approaching it professionally and methodically," Miles said.

Learning curve

Scheihing said he's still settling in to his new role and familiarizing himself with the process of conducting nationwide employment searches.

After receiving a job order, J. Miles Personnel casts a wide net to pinpoint professionals who meet a company's hiring criteria and then reviews their résumés and credentials before conducting phone interviews, Scheihing said. The firm recommends top prospects to the employer for in-person interviews and, in many cases, negotiates the compensation and relocation package once a candidate has been hired, he added.

Scheihing's only been in charge of J. Miles Personnel for three weeks, but he's already kicking around ideas for expanding the firm's scope.

"My plans are to continue to grow it and expand into other industries by leveraging our technology and hiring additional recruiters," he said, adding that he expects demand for recruiting to only increase. "I think there's a lot of opportunity in this industry, especially with the generational shift. ... For every two baby boomers who retire, there's only one Gen-Xer to take their place. So one of the biggest challenges for American business is attracting and retaining talent."