In 1945, Clifford L. Stivers founded a temporary help company to meet the growing demand for temporary clerical services in Chicago. A pioneer in the temporary services industry, Stivers devised his own system of testing skills, hired a statistician to validate test scores, and instituted the concept of quality control. He expanded to Chicago's suburbs in the early 1950's, established branch offices on both coasts in the 1960's, and gradually added offices in major cities in the United States and Canada.