MPW has spent the last 46 years building relationships in industrial America. So, it came as no surprise when, in May of 2017, the company introduced a new brand called FieldForce Workforce Solutions.
Headquartered in the same building as MPW’s facility in Andrews, South Carolina, FieldForce specializes in placing skilled workers — such as electricians, welders and pipefitters — into jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
FieldForce Operations Manager Tony Sapp said MPW’s private ownership and commitment to investing in people and technology were significant factors in building the business.
“We could not find a more reputable, honest and successful company than MPW to help us build this organization,” Sapp said.
Structured as an operating division within MPW, FieldForce provides a variety of staffing solutions, including contract and temp-to-hire agreements. These types of projects require a unique type of worker, Sapp said.
“About 90 percent of our workers routinely travel all over the U.S.,” he said. “They spend very little time at home and their average work week is 60 hours or more. The more hours they work, the happier they are.”
Learning to Fly
FieldForce was granted candidate status by the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) in January. As a result, FieldForce began training and certifying its own instructors, as well as personnel employed
by other companies, using the NCCER curriculum.
Sapp said the accreditation process — which included applications, classes, self-assessments, authorizations, testing and audits — was demanding but has already yielded business benefits.
“This certification means a new and sustainable revenue stream that will help not only MPW and FieldForce, but any company interested in improving the skills, knowledge and safety awareness of their craft force to be more productive and quality minded,” said Sapp, who is a certified NCCER Master Trainer and Administrator.
We Are the Champions
The NCCER accreditation isn’t FieldForce’s only win.
Thanks in part to its strategic location amidst fast-growing construction and manufacturing industries, FieldForce has already been awarded work at facilities at Volvo, Mercedes, Nucor, Pfizer, Baxter Pharmaceuticals, Boeing, SMC Dragline, ATI Steel and Big River Steel.
“A big takeaway from our early success has been that we’re very comfortable with the location of our headquarters,” said Sapp. “Also, our quick response times, quality-focused workers, and ability to complete projects ahead of schedule have allowed us to pick up additional business by gaining the trust of our customers.”
With a Little Help from My Friends
Sapp said similar organizational focuses, such as an emphasis on safety, have already allowed MPW and FieldForce to collaborate on a variety of projects.
“We supported MPW with electricians and ironworkers on a few power plant projects in 2017,” Sapp said. “We also provide staffing support to their deep cleaning project at a Mercedes plant in Charleston, South Carolina.”
Sapp said he expects the MPW-FieldForce relationship to help both entities grow.
“In three years or so, I’d like for FieldForce to have multiple sales office locations like MPW and several hundred workers in the field,” he said.