Connecting the Dots

Supreme Staffing has a foundation of a family unit. Marnie Byford, Chief Operating Officer of the company, brings the ability to build on the foundation with knowledge, structure, and education and create a team to maintain growth organically. She believes being a leader isn’t merely about having authority; it’s about paving a path for others to follow and drive progress. One’s truth may be the path that leads others to discover their mission. Reaching goals requires more than dogged determination and stubbornness. It’s about adjusting as well. Leaders need to be open to different types of goals, new ways of measuring impact, and more sustainable methods of achievement, and that is how Marnie has been leading, with steadfast determination and being an inspiration to all.

Marnie makes it a point to understand what motivates her team. “Some may require recognition and others are more stimulated by career growth opportunities. She ensures their jobs align with their values and goals. She ensures they have the full buy in building from the ground up,” says Marnie, who takes every day with her team as teachable moments of growth and success. “Always remember that success doesn’t have a timeline. If it did, many would miss the opportunity. Over the course of my career in education and leadership development, I’ve enjoyed seeing just how diverse every path has been,” explains Marnie. “These variations of paths have helped me be who I am today. Success comes from everyone’s unique set of experiences that inform their values and the way they make decisions. Embrace each one!”

Supreme Staffing is an employment agency that actively listens, then connects job seekers and employers to create the perfect partnership for both. This is both their mission and vision, which Marnie maintains daily as she ensures that customers and employees are satisfied with each other. The company provides staffing for clients in warehousing, logistics, transportation, office support, and call centers.

Her true leadership was displayed at full potential when the pandemic hit. While many companies felt the pain of the lockdowns, Supreme Staffing was expanding its U.S. footprint. Marnie stated that the company continued to execute its expansion plans that started in 2020. The company opened an employment agency office in New Jersey and numerous Northeast facilities. “It [e-commerce] has been the game-changer because of COVID-19. People have been forced to be at home and understood the utilization of ordering online and having things delivered, whether it was groceries, home décor, or random products," Byford said to a news agency. “The e-commerce world just flipped what we knew. It was a continuous peak every day, which required us to increase our staff headcount across the board.”

Supreme Staffing has plans to open a new forklift training center at the end of August. Marnie Byford, the company's chief operating officer, told MBJ that the 11,820-square-foot facility will be located at 4400 S. Mendenhall Road in Southeast Memphis. Currently, under construction, Supreme Staffing is remodeling to make way for the forklift training center, which will have office space in the front and a warehouse area in the back.

The new facility can be partitioned off to meet the needs of trainers and accommodate the different types of equipment used during training. “Forklift drivers, especially the good forklift drivers, are a hot commodity," she says. “This [facility] is going to allow us to partner with our customers to [offer] certified and re-certified [training] and [provide] refresher at that quality that’s needed. We have a certified forklift trainer and safety manager who will manage and monitor the whole process. They’ll work closely with all our customers, and we will then eventually branch off and open the doors to the community for people who want to come in and go through the forklift certification processes.”

Marnie hopes the forklift training center can help address the shortage of forklift drivers in the area. “Companies are trying to use staffing agencies because they’re struggling on their side,” she elucidates. “Places that have good drivers, their pay rate is extremely high. If we can find people who have the interest, then we have the training facility to develop them."

In addition to the forklift training center, Marnie adds Supreme Staffing is expanding its Connect direct-hire department. “We are looking at [filling more] higher-skilled positions all over the country,” she said. “We’re working with facilities like hospitals, attorney offices, and corporate divisions. We’re still doing it with logistics [too], but for the higher-skilled, salaried positions. We’re going to be doing a very deep dive in the interviewing process, selecting the right quality candidates, and allowing the company to sit back and be able to review the right person who comes through the door.”