THE SELECT FAMILY OF STAFFING COMPANIES AWARDED TOP HONORS IN RISK MANAGEMENT

SANTA BARBARA, CA – September 15, 2008 ¬– The Select Family of Staffing Companies’ Risk Management program was recently honored with two prestigious national awards for demonstrating outstanding achievement: the Risk Innovator Award and the National Underwriter (NU) Award for Excellence in Workers’ Compensation Risk Management.

Once struggling to survive the high cost of workers’ compensation insurance in a post-9/11 environment, Select has emerged as one of the largest privately held staffing companies in the United States, with projected annual revenue of over $1.7 billion in 2008. Select’s risk management performance, coupled with the company’s sales and aggressive acquisition strategy, has had a direct impact on the financial growth and success of the organization overall.

Fred Pachón, Select’s Vice President of Risk Management and Insurance, was among a select group of 26 individuals to be officially named a 2008 Risk Innovator in the Manufacturing category. Nominees from 20 different industries were reviewed by Risk & Insurance® for their ability to identify and resolve risk-related challenges in a unique or innovative way. Winners were chosen for viewing “risk” not only as a threat, but as an opportunity for their organization.

Opportunity is precisely what made Pachón stand out above the competition. Upon starting his career with Select in 2001, Pachón served as a Workers’ Compensation Consultant, analyzing Select’s risk assessment reports. Immediately able to identify areas in need of improvement, he was promoted to Corporate Risk-Insurance Manager and developed, implemented, and restructured a series of risk management initiatives and claims management programs that have since been embraced by the company culture. Saving The Select Family more than $100 million of what could have been a costly liability and reducing the average cost per claim by 75% are just a fraction of Pachón’s contributions to the company.

While directing a team of 60 full-time department colleagues, over 300 designated workers’ compensation coordinators, 1,200 safety officers nationwide, 20 insurance adjusters, and 3 professional consulting firms, Pachón has developed sophisticated reporting mechanisms, safety incentive programs, and underwriting procedures for the organization. The combined effort of Pachón and his team has resulted in safer working environments, the reduction of loss frequency by 150%, and above all, satisfied customers. Says Pachón, “Our existing clients rave about our safety program and have given numerous testimonials to this effect. Select’s dedication to safety and risk reduction gives companies the confidence they need in a trusted partner.”

Pachón’s credentials alone command trust and confidence in risk management operations. He holds a CPDM, WCCP, and ARM. He is a featured speaker for Power Training Institute (PTI) and has served as an expert witness during the California WC reform legislative hearings. Pachón has recently been given the title of General Manager for Select’s new construction division, TradeForce by Select Staffing.

Under the leadership of Pachón, Select’s Risk Management team was also awarded the prestigious NU Award for Excellence in Workers’ Compensation Risk Management. This national award recognizes companies for their success in cost reduction, return-to-work programs, and overall management of workers’ compensation. Based on specific criteria, including a short company profile and an essay titled “How My Company Stands Out Managing Workers’ Comp Risks,” Select, once again, prevailed.
Few organizations can match the extent to which The Select Family integrates risk management into its core operational structure. From associate safety programs to pre-screening tools to technical reporting, Select keeps risk management top of mind and is serious about safety.  "There is no question that Enterprise Risk Management is engrained in Select's culture and fabric. Almost every part of the company gets touched or is influenced by the risk management team. We are a very mature and sophisticated company when it comes to Safety & Risk management.” says Steve Sorensen, Chairman and CEO for The Select Family of Staffing Companies.
A key feature that sets The Select Family apart from other companies is its development of a customized risk management information query that distributes performance metrics to management and supervisory staff companywide. This “dashboard” tracks claims and audits performance in real-time, which in turn supports cost-reduction goals and helps manage pricing.

Select is also recognized as being a pioneer in the staffing industry for its thorough fraud investigations, claims management protocol, return-to-work program, and most importantly, its applied underwriting principles. One of the more unique aspects of Select’s strategy is that each risk management staff member has the title and duty of “underwriter.”  Says Pachón, “The result is that risk management staff evaluations form a major part of the company’s decisions on quoting and pricing new customers. These evaluations are supported and heeded by senior management.” Programs implemented by Pachón and his team have successfully reduced the rates charged for almost every line of coverage, and the cost of retained risk, by 60%-80%. Since the cost of risk, specifically workers’ compensation, is by far the largest variable cost for most temporary staffing firms, Select’s dramatic reduction has attributed to the company’s expansion and success.

For more information about Fred Pachón and The Select Family’s Risk Management services, click here.

Founded in Santa Barbara, California in 1985, The Select Family of Staffing Companies is one of the nation’s fastest-growing, full-service staffing companies. The company operates as Select StaffingSM, Select Staffing™, Select Truckers PlusSM, Remedy® Intelligent Staffing, RemX® Financial Staffing, RemX® IT Staffing, RemX® OfficeStaff, and other national brands. Select Staffing offers premier workforce management services, including recruiting and screening professional job candidates, payroll and time attendance management, on-site supervision, proactive safety programs, and specialty staffing solutions, to a wide variety of client companies, including manufacturing, industrial, clerical, administrative, accounting, finance, information technology, and professional services.

For more information on The Select Family of Staffing Companies, please visit the company’s website at www.selectfamily.com.