Why franchise in Kankakee, Illionois?
Tap into a high-demand market fueled by logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare
Located along I-57 just 60 miles south of Chicago, Kankakee sits at the crossroads of opportunity and accessibility. The region is anchored by advanced manufacturers, food processors, and chemical producers, with logistics, warehousing, and healthcare services steadily expanding. Kankakee County has been repeatedly recognized for economic development momentum and job creation relative to its size.
Workforce participation remains strong across the region, and local institutions like Kankakee Community College are building pipelines into the skilled trades, nursing, and industrial tech fields. With employers actively hiring but struggling to find the right talent, a staffing franchise has ample room to grow by offering hands-on, high-touch service that solves real hiring challenges.
Top employers in the Kankakee region:
- CSL Behring (biopharmaceuticals)
- Riverside Healthcare
- Presence St. Mary’s Hospital
- Peddinghaus Corporation
- Nucor Steel
- Urban Farmer (food processing)
- Johnsonville Sausage
- Baker & Taylor (distribution)
- Kankakee School District 111
- Kankakee County Government
Benton Harbor–Niles Business Highlights:
$320+ million estimated temp staffing payroll (2023)
$460+ million estimated temp staffing market size (2023)
More than 50,000-person regional labor force
Ranked among the fastest-growing small metros for job creation (Site Selection Magazine)
Recognized as a top emerging industrial market in Illinois
Strategic location with direct interstate, rail, and river access
Strong demand for skilled labor in logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare
About You
Who is an ideal Spherion Staffing franchise owner candidate?
What skills and traits does the ideal Spherion franchise candidate possess? After more than 65 years of franchising, here are the character traits, leadership skills, and business expertise we expect our franchise candidates to demonstrate:
- Sufficient operating capital or the ability to obtain operating funds from a verifiable source
- At least 5 years' experience leading and developing a team or teams in areas of:
- Customer development, service and support
- Sales and prospect identification and activities
- Managing a P&L, basic accounting principals, accounts receivables management and delivery of compensation recommendations and guidance
- Personal experience in sales and market development including new business prospecting, sales calling, consultative selling skills, business negotiation skills and responding to bid opportunities
- At least 3 years' experience recruiting, hiring and developing team members to manage role-specific responsibilities and demonstrate criteria-based results
- Personal residence within your desired market
- A strong desire to contribute to your community; involvement in civic and community business organizations
- Confident speaking and presentation skills
If this sounds like you, read more about franchising with Spherion Staffing. Then, contact Dan Brunell to get started on your Spherion path to franchise ownership!
Support & Training
Our support is our signature: Our owner community across the country is collaborative, supportive, and helpful. Spherion franchisees include multigenerational groups, husband-wife teams, former Spherion corporate employees, former franchise employees, and entrepreneurs from all walks of life. A clear supermajority (98%) agree that Spherion's training is good or better, while 91% agree that their fellow franchisees are supportive of each other and the Spherion brand.**
You'll receive 380+ hours of comprehensive role-based training before and after opening. Periodic training addresses client development, legal requirements, marketing, and sales. You'll be supported by a dedicated portfolio leader who is available to answer questions and strategize with you, as well as by a national marketing team.
Spherion owners receive complete back office and technology support for all functions related to their temporary employees. We process employee payroll, including taxes, insurance, and benefits required by law. We invoice the clients, manage collections and application of payments as well as the W-2 process at the end of the year. Our corporate office maintains, supports, and troubleshoots all technology, eliminating the need for technical expertise and investment. Spherion's model allows you to focus on the business, not get lost in the business.
Our franchisees enjoy a full range of sales and marketing tools to help promote their business, including digital marketing, SEO & SEM support; sales collateral; print, radio, billboard, and online advertising; social media content; target account programs; direct mail campaigns; salary data; thought leadership research; and community giveback programs.
You'll enroll in our New Franchisee Launch program, a comprehensive training course that covers all aspects of opening a successful Spherion office. Plus, you'll receive ongoing support from a tenured team of professionals—from accounting, payroll, and technology to operations and marketing.
Competition
Kankakee’s staffing landscape includes a few regional and niche firms, but the market remains open for a national brand with local ownership and deep community ties. Spherion franchisees are uniquely positioned to stand out by delivering responsive, personal service backed by national-scale recruiting resources and technology.
In a region where relationships matter and industries are in motion, there’s a clear opportunity to become the trusted go-to staffing partner for both job seekers and employers.
Staffing Industry Analysts predicts the US staffing industry will grow by 1% in 2025 to reach $188.7 billion. This growth will be powered by lower inflation and interest rates that allow businesses to accelerate their growth compared to previous years. Regardless of economic conditions, the need for temporary employees to fill skills gaps and for permanent workers to fulfill longer-term business goals will remain stable.
Growth & Expansion Opportunity
Talent Acquisition Challenges
Local manufacturers and healthcare systems report ongoing challenges filling skilled and mid-skilled roles. There’s particular demand for machine operators, industrial maintenance techs, CNAs, and warehouse associates. A Spherion franchise focused on light industrial and healthcare support roles could quickly become essential to local hiring efforts.
Flexible & Temp Staffing Demand
Many Kankakee-area employers rely on seasonal, contract, and temp-to-hire roles to manage demand swings and labor uncertainty. Spherion’s flexible workforce model is a natural fit for this environment.
Cyclical Workforce Needs
Food production, manufacturing, and logistics sectors experience predictable volume surges tied to inventory cycles and agricultural seasons. A staffing partner who understands those rhythms can build long-term relationships and consistent revenue.
Support for Small Manufacturers & Health Systems
Kankakee’s small and mid-sized employers often lack in-house HR capacity. They need a recruiting partner who can deliver not just candidates—but confidence. A franchise owner with local knowledge and Spherion’s support can become the go-to resource for workforce stability.
Become a Spherion Business Owner.
When you're ready to start your franchising journey with Spherion, text, call, or email Dan to ask how you can become part of our franchise community.

Dan Brunell
Regional Vice President of Franchise Development
Dan’s background as a senior executive in the staffing industry and founder of a top franchise brokerage equips him with more than 30 years of experience helping prospective franchisees succeed.
This website and the franchise sales information on this website do not constitute an offer to sell a franchise. The offer of a franchise can only be made through the delivery of a franchise disclosure document. Certain states require that we register the franchise disclosure document in those states. The communications on this website are not directed by us to the residents of any of those states. Moreover, we will not offer or sell franchises in those states until we have registered the franchise (or obtained an applicable exemption from registration) and delivered the franchise disclosure document to the prospective franchisee in compliance with applicable law.
*This data is based on 64 franchisees that were open and operating their businesses for at least one full year as of 12/31/24. Of these 64 franchisees, 20 of them (31.3%) surpassed the average annual sales stated above, and 22 of them (34.4%) surpassed the average annual gross profit stated above. Some outlets have earned these amounts. Your individual results may differ. There is no assurance that you’ll earn as much. Please review Item 19 of our April 18, 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for more information.
**Franchise Business Review survey, December 2024