Filling the gaps and growing 7.15.11

INDIANAPOLIS STAR

For Julie Bielawski, it seems like yesterday that she was making coffee, emptying the trash and setting up two small classrooms for her small business.
But that was 15 years ago. On Thursday, the Northwestside native was standing next to Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard as he announced an additional 200 jobs would be coming to her family-run Knowledge Services consulting firm.
Knowledge Services has been on a steep growth trajectory, particularly in this economic downturn as companies seek temporary workers to fill employment gaps. Divisions of the company provide temporary workers who have IT, customer-service and other skills for employers trying to hold down costs. The company also provides computer training and management computer programs.
From Indiana to India, the company has about 600 employees working for client companies and governments. About 150 work in 91 of Indiana's 92 counties, and all of the new hires will work in the state.
Clients include household corporate names such as Disney, Mattel, Hill-Rom, WellPoint, Verizon and the Indiana state government.
Other parts of Knowledge Services provide software and host computer systems so client companies can track many aspects of their expenses and manpower and even relationships with other vendors and suppliers.
"We can save our clients an average of 20 percent on their labor costs," Bielawski said.
Those savings combined with the economic downturn have created many opportunities for companies that provide temporary workers.
Knowledge Services, which recorded revenues of $111,000 in its first year, when Bielawski was getting the company started, generated more than $58 million in revenue last year. Bielawski and her husband, Joe Bielawski, executive vice president, said the 200 new jobs will mostly be positions at the company's headquarters. They will be jobs in IT, customer service and support, finance and accounting, with average pay of $25 to $30 an hour.  In exchange for new jobs it creates, the company could receive up to $2.7 million in state income tax credits and a job-training grant of $25,000. The city will consider property tax abatement on new equipment to go with the new jobs.
Joe Bielawski said Knowledge Services has been growing quietly, with little attention-seeking. "It is not really in our DNA to look for the spotlight," he said. However, the company's growth and size have become hard to hide under a basket. "Based on our compelling and complementary blend of services, we have been very fortunate to experience continued strong revenue growth," Julie Bielawski said. "The state's competitive business climate and the availability of talented, educated and skilled workers all contributed to our decision to stay and grow in Indiana." Ballard added, "The jobs this company provides are exactly the type of quality jobs we are focused on bringing to Indianapolis."
http://www.indystar.com/article/20110715/BUSINESS05/107150341/Filling-gaps-growing