ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup
Company type	Public
Industry	Staffing and workforce solutions
Founded	June 1948; 78 years ago
Founder	Elmer Winter, Aaron Scheinfeld
Headquarters	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Administrative & support services, professional services, business services

ManpowerGroup, previously known as Manpower Inc., is a multinational enterprise based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Established in 1948 by Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld, it ranks as the third-largest staffing organization globally, following Swiss company Adecco and Dutch firm Randstad NV. The corporation offers a range of administrative & support services, professional services, and business services through four primary divisions: Manpower (providing contingent workforce and permanent hiring solutions), Experis (focusing on resourcing and project oversight), Right Management (specializing in career management, workforce advisory, and development), and ManpowerGroup Solutions (delivering managed services and outsourcing).

Origins and Growth (1948–1961)

One narrative credits the founding of Manpower to Elmer Winter and his legal associate Aaron Scheinfeld, who established the company in 1948 after encountering a pressing need for secretarial assistance at the Wisconsin Supreme Court. They secured $7,000 in capital and launched their initial office in Milwaukee, adopting the name Manpower based on a suggestion from an acquaintance.

Another account from James D. Scheinfeld’s “A History of Manpower, Inc. 1948–1976” indicates that Aaron Scheinfeld originated the concept following World War II while engaged with military equipment contracts. He created the company name and collaborated with advertiser Marvin Frank to design the original logo, inviting Winter to join as a minority stakeholder and co-founder. The business was incorporated in Delaware, with offices opening simultaneously in Milwaukee and Chicago by June 1948.

By 1952, Manpower had broadened its presence across multiple U.S. cities such as Minneapolis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, New York, Pittsburgh, and Boston. The firm introduced its first franchise opportunity in 1954, expanded internationally by 1956 with locations in Montreal, Toronto, and the UK, and commenced operations in France by 1957.

Historian Louis Hyman highlights that Manpower initially addressed temporary staffing needs but aimed to substitute permanent employees with leased labor, encountering opposition from companies that prioritized job security for married white male workers as primary earners.

"White Glove Girl" Campaign and Stock Market Debut (1966–1975)

The temporary staffing industry partly developed as a means to bypass union safeguards by categorizing temp roles as “women's work,” often illustrated through images of young, white, middle-class females occupying short-term clerical positions. In 1961, Manpower allocated $1 million toward a national advertising campaign promoting their “White Glove Girls.” According to Winter, the gloves represented qualities such as femininity, precision, and competence. A 1962 TIME magazine advertisement featured model Judy Newton as the emblematic figure for Manpower’s network of 240 offices across the U.S. and Canada plus 15 European branches. The company’s divisions at that time included Office Services, Industrial Help, Salespower, Inc., and Technical Services.

Erin Hatton’s work “The Temp Economy” contends these promotional materials intentionally excluded males and minority groups, positioning White Glove Girls as “respectable sex symbols” designed to exclude recent immigrants or African American migrants. A 1964 advertisement outlined formal training programs encompassing office skills, professional conduct, confidentiality protocols, personal grooming, and emergency procedures. It also touted Manpower as the largest temporary employment service worldwide with over 300 offices globally.

In 1962, Manpower made its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange.

By 1967, the company reported operating more than 500 offices internationally. The milestone of opening its 100th overseas location coincided with its 500th overall branch inauguration in Istanbul on February 7, 1967. On March 31 of that year, Manpower registered 300,000 common shares priced at $28 each for public offering. In 1968, it introduced Manpower Technical to supply specialized temporary personnel beyond traditional clerical and industrial categories.

Parker Pen Company Era (1975–1985)

On August 18, 1975, shortly after co-founder Elmer Winter retired, the Parker Pen Company purchased Manpower for $28.2 million. Parker acquired 80% of the common shares, while the remaining 20% was bought by Manpower’s Chairman, Mitchell S. Fromstein.

By January 1985, Fromstein assumed the role of President at Parker Pen. Later that October, he revealed plans to privately divest the pen division, as Manpower represented 90% of Parker's revenue and the pen segment was underperforming. Following this transaction, Parker Pen adopted the name Manpower Inc., with the pen operations continuing under the Parker brand.

Public Offering and Blue Arrow Acquisition (1986–1990)

Manpower returned to public markets on June 27, 1986, registering 300,000 shares with the SEC. On August 4, 1987, British company Blue Arrow launched an unexpected cash offer of $1.2 billion ($75 per share) to acquire all 16 million outstanding Manpower shares. Blue Arrow’s objective was to evolve Manpower into a comprehensive staffing organization by incorporating permanent placement and executive search services, reducing expenses, and implementing performance-based incentives—methods that had proven effective in their 1985 takeover of Brook Street Bureau. At that time, both Manpower and Kelly Services controlled approximately 11%-12% of the U.S. temporary staffing sector; Blue Arrow was about one-tenth Manpower’s size, prompting some analysts to consider the bid undervalued.

Initially rejecting the proposal, Manpower’s board subsequently accepted an improved offer of $1.33 billion ($82.50 per share) on August 22. Blue Arrow consented to maintain Manpower as a U.S.-based subsidiary under its existing name, preserve its Milwaukee headquarters, and retain Fromstein in leadership.

Prior to agreeing to Blue Arrow’s acquisition, Fromstein explored a partnership with Swiss firm Adia S.A., which declined; Adia later merged with France’s Ecco in 1996 to form Adecco.

Manpower resumed trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MAN on October 3, 1988.

On December 7, 1988, Fromstein stepped down as President and CEO by mutual agreement amid pressure from Blue Arrow CEO Antony Berry. Subsequently, Fromstein mobilized U.S. Manpower franchisees to challenge Berry’s leadership; by January 1989, Berry was dismissed as CEO and replaced by Fromstein while retaining his chairman role. Berry’s removal followed disappointing stock results and a controversy involving Blue Arrow’s investment bank NatWest over alleged stock price manipulation after a failed share offering—legal actions initiated in November 1989 known as the Blue Arrow Affair.

In April 1989, Fromstein further consolidated his authority by replacing Berry as chairman. Later that year he announced renaming Blue Arrow PLC to Manpower PLC, emphasizing that Manpower generated more than 75% of revenues and profits and served as the global flagship brand within the portfolio. The company also relocated its corporate headquarters back from the UK to Milwaukee.

Transformation into Manpower Inc (1990–2005)

On January 31, 1990, Blue Arrow PLC declared intentions to reincorporate in the United States as Manpower Inc., shifting its headquarters to Milwaukee. This reorganization concluded in 1991 with the establishment of Manpower Inc., a publicly traded holding entity that acquired Manpower PLC (formerly Blue Arrow), which owned Manpower International Inc.

In 1999, founder Mitchell S. Fromstein retired from his roles as president, CEO, and chairman and assumed chairman emeritus status. Jeffrey Joerres succeeded him as president and CEO. The company rebranded its Manpower Technical division as Manpower Professional.

In January 2000, Manpower purchased UK-based Elan Group Ltd., an IT staffing firm operating throughout Europe and Hong Kong, for $146.2 million. This acquisition consolidated its European IT staffing services under the Elan brand. That same year saw the launch of The Empower Group—a consulting arm targeting multinational clients across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

On July 9, 2001, Manpower acquired Jefferson Wells International—a North American professional accounting and tax services provider—for $174 million. Subsequently, on December 11, 2003, it agreed to acquire Right Management Consultants for $488 million ($18.75 per share), integrating Empower into Right Management to broaden its consulting service offerings.

Global brand transformation (2006–2011)

In 2006, the organization unveiled a refreshed global branding strategy, which encompassed a revamped logo, updated marketing collateral, and new advertising initiatives. This brand overhaul was crafted by Wolff Olins' London team, with advertising efforts handled by WPP’s Grey Worldwide in New York and media planning executed by MediaCom.

The rebranding effort consolidated more than 200 worldwide brands into five principal brands that reflected its service offerings: Manpower, Manpower Professional, Elan, Jefferson Wells, and Right Management. The redesigned logo incorporated five colored ovals arranged to form the initials "MP," representing the company’s diverse range of services.

By 2007, operating under the name Manpower Business Solutions (MBS), the company broadened its portfolio to include task outsourcing, vendor management, onsite HR services, and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). In February 2010, Manpower completed the acquisition of COMSYS IT Partners for $431 million in cash and stock. This deal brought the Tapfin brand into the fold, boosting Manpower’s capabilities in RPO and Managed Service Provider (MSP) offerings.

The acquisition of COMSYS finalized on April 5, 2010, merging its operations with Manpower Professional IT. Tapfin’s MSP and RPO services were integrated within Manpower Business Solutions to enhance the company’s comprehensive staffing solutions on a global scale.

Transition to ManpowerGroup (since 2011)

In 2011, the company transitioned to the name ManpowerGroup and restructured into four primary brands: Manpower; Experis—which combined Manpower Professional, Elan, and Jefferson Wells; Right Management; and ManpowerGroup Solutions (previously Manpower Business Solutions). This repositioning aimed to establish the company as a workforce solutions provider rather than solely an employment agency. The Experis brand emphasized specialized expertise and experience. New corporate and brand logos were developed in partnership with The Martin Agency.

On September 22, 2011, ManpowerGroup acquired a 70% stake in Proservia SA, a French IT and systems engineering firm, completing full ownership by November for $29.4 million.

Jonas Prising succeeded Jeffrey Joerres as CEO on May 1, 2014; Joerres then assumed the role of executive chairman before retiring on December 30, 2015. At that point, Prising took on the chairman position while continuing as CEO.

ManpowerGroup pursued growth through acquisitions: in June 2015, it acquired Greythorn’s divisions in Australia and Singapore; in August 2015, Experis secured a majority interest in Veritaaq, a Canadian IT consulting firm; on September 3, 2015, it purchased Germany-based HR services company 7S Group GmbH for $140.4 million. Further acquisitions included Ciber’s operations in the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain during 2016 and 2017. Most recently, in August 2021, ManpowerGroup acquired Ettain Group, an IT staffing and services provider, for $925 million.

Subsidiaries

ManpowerGroup operates numerous subsidiaries worldwide under its four main brands: Manpower, Experis, Right Management, and ManpowerGroup Solutions. Additionally, it oversees various independent brands and joint ventures.

Prominent subsidiaries include:

Econometrix
Tapfin
ManpowerGroup Public Sector (United States)
Proservia (France and Europe)
FuturSkill (France)
Supplay (France)
Experis-Veritaaq (Canada)
The SJB Group (United Kingdom)
Greythorn (Australia)
Marks Sattin (Australia and Singapore)
Lundi (United States)
Arcqus (Germany)
AviationPowerGroup—a joint venture with Lufthansa Technical Training (Germany and UK)
Bankpower—a joint venture with Deutsche Bank (Germany)
Montaplan (Germany)
Shoga (Germany)
Siebenlist, Grey & Partner (Germany)
SPLU (Germany)
Stegdoc (Germany)
Stegmann (Germany and Belgium)
Stegmed (Germany)
Vivento Interim Services—a joint venture with Deutsche Telekom (Germany)
Avan (Norway)
Experis Ciber (Norway, Spain, Netherlands; acquired from Ciber)
Workshop Bemanning & Kompetanse (Norway)
iSense ICT Professionals (Netherlands)
PEAK-IT (Netherlands)
Salarisprofs (Netherlands)
Job Support Power (Japan)
Pro-Hunt (Japan)
Event Elite (Hong Kong)
Shivford Manpower (India)

These subsidiaries significantly extend ManpowerGroup’s presence across global markets and specialized recruitment sectors.

References