Feb. 7—HENDERSON — Penmac Staffing, an employment agency headquartered in Missouri, now calls Henderson home — sort of.
It joined the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, and in doing so “crossed the border,” President Sandra Wilkerson joked.
Yesterday, area manager Jessica Harville cut the ribbon at the HVCC office.
As an employment agency, Penmac offers information verification services like background checks, drug screenings and credit checks. They also assist employees in getting trained, whether that’s forklift certifications or something else along those lines.
The company, like many others, underwent restructuring during the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing it fully into the virtual realm — that’s how it’s able to work in Henderson out of Harville’s office in South Hill, Virginia.
The company’s facility in South Carolina covers the area between Spartanburg, S.C. and Greensboro. They have 31 other offices nationwide.
Locally, Penmac partners with Oxford’s Huff Consulting to build clientele, sending clients to other firms in case they need services Penmac doesn’t offer and vice versa.
“Honestly, we need to get out of the competition mindset, so we can figure out how we can help each other,” said Michele Walker, sales account manager from Huff Consulting. “When we help each other, we can grow, and the community needs to grow.”
“Healthy competition is the best competition,” said Harville. “I never say to my clients, oh, I want to be your premier staffing agency. That’s everyone’s goal, but it’s really about collaboration and getting our clients where they need to be.”
She likened the job to raising a baby — they nurture their clients until they’re ready to leave the nest, so to speak.
Unless Penmac sees more than 3,500 billable hours in Henderson, they won’t build a brick-and-mortar location. Anything less than that can be handled out of their South Hill office. A storefront would need to be financially viable to support the staff it would employ, as well.
HVCC Board Chair Margier White, Henderson Police Department captains Chris Ball and Joey Ferguson, Small Business Center Director Carolyn Perry and Sheriff Curtis Brame welcomed the new member.
Vance County Board of Commissioners Chair Dan Brummitt said workforce development is a prerequisite for a community’s growth. Wilkerson said the chamber is focusing more on the workforce this year.
Harville praised local decision makers, saying they were more easily reached and more open than those in other areas where she’s worked.
“Everybody’s been more than welcoming,” said Harville. “We’re very excited.”
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