Glenn Welstad

Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame
2000 INDUCTEE

Norwegian-American Glenn Welstad is an Upham, ND-native, and business entrepreneur.

After graduating from UND with a business degree and working for major companies, Welstad formed a partnership with a college classmate. Welstad was a successful restaurateur and owned a number of Hardees and Village Inn franchises, but eventually hesold his interest to North Central Foods and retired.

Bored with retirement, Welstad re-entered the world of free enterprise, this time in the body – toning salon business. Around that time, an acquaintance introduced him to the daily labor business in which he was a franchisee. Welstad liked the concept and Labor Ready was born in 1989.

Labor Ready is the nation’s leading provider of temporary manual labor to the light industrial, and small business markets. With over 800 offices in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Great Britain, the for-profit operation assists laborers wanting temporary work and employers needing temporary workers. Unlike other temporary help operations, however, Labor Ready is pleased if one of its workers is offered a permanent job at a client’s company. The company debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 1998.

Welstad retired as president of Labor Ready in June 2000, but remains chairman of its board of directors. At the time of his retirement, Labor Ready had grown to annual revenues of nearly $1 Billion. He and his wife, Donna, have three grown children.

Welstad went on to found Command Center, Inc. in 2003 and served as its Chairman and President until February 20, 2013. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Command Center, Inc. since 2003 until February 19, 2013. He served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Temporary Financial Services Inc. since November 2005. Welstad developed Temporary Financial Services Inc. from a single office in Kent, Washington to 860 offices in three countries and one U.S. possession.

In 2003, Mr. Welstad also co-founded Command Staffing, LLC and owns interests in a number of temporary labor businesses. It is expected that CCNI acquires the temporary labor businesses in which Mr. Welstad has an interest at the time of the second closing. He served as a Director of Command Center, Inc. until February 20, 2013. He served as Director of Temporary Financial Services Inc. since November 2005.