Driver recruiting firm Kelly Anderson Group expands to the coach industry

After two decades of working with trucking companies, the Kelly Anderson Group has expanded into the motorcoach industry. Bus & Motorcoach News recently spoke with Jeremy Morrissey, the firm’s Client Solutions Director, about the employee recruitment company’s history and future plans. 

Who is Kelly Anderson and why did he start this business? 

Using his life experiences in the transportation industry, Kelly Anderson founded Impact Solutions in January 1998, after spending 10 years working for Contract Freighters Inc. (CFI) in Joplin, Missouri. Because of his vast experience in the transportation industry, he has held many positions, including Federal Law Enforcement Officer, Professional Driver, Driver Trainer, Recruiter, and Recruiting Manager.

How has the firm evolved since then? 

Impact Solutions is celebrating a rebranding to Kelly Anderson Group. Over the past 23 years, the company has evolved into the following divisions: Impact e-Learning, Impact Recruiting, Impact Retention, Impact Management/Coaching, and Impact Seminars. We started with a few clients and two employees — Kelly and his wife, Carmen. Since then, we have evolved into several divisions, 3,000+ clients, and more than 50 employees. We upgraded our current location to a 10,000-square-foot building last year, and recently purchased a 40,000-square-foot building. Our plan is to move to the new building next year. We have become the go-to resource for fleets seeking growth and profitability.

Why did the Kelly Anderson Group recently join the UMA?

We have a couple of motorcoach clients, Annette Bus Lines and Stout Transportation. We wanted to be more involved in the motorcoach world and potentially help where we can. I asked Tim Stout how we could be more involved, and he mentioned UMA. He gave me the contact info for (UMA President and CEO) Larry Killingsworth, and we started a conversation. We joined at the beginning of this year.

What’s your elevator pitch when talking to motorcoach operators about Kelly Anderson Group’s services?

We are a consulting business for the transportation industry that helps companies find, recruit, retain and train your drivers and staff.

What innovation is Kelly Anderson Group bringing to driver recruitment in the motorcoach industry?

The main thing would be the way we actually recruit. We are not a third-party recruiter who sells drivers and lists to companies. We are an additional recruiter for each client, and answer all calls/emails as that client. Think of us as another employee of your company. Our service is completely customized for each client. Our service is offered for a monthly fee, not a per-driver fee. We also would be bringing knowledge of recruiting software that would help track all applicants in a digital format and also provide in-depth reports on all potential drivers.

For those who want to understand your perspective on the industry, tell us where you find inspiration and insight?

I try and keep up on the changes in the industry by reading weekly publications, as well as listening to news radio and a couple of podcasts; mainly business and transportation news. You can learn quite a bit by keeping up with these types of forums.

With so much change in the world, what do you see as the future of driver recruitment in the short and long term?

In the short term, we expect to see the lowering of the minimum age for drivers to expand the pool, possibly increasing the pay structure and more home time. In the long term, a big focus on recruiting women, veterans and minorities. The industry can also partner and build more programs that can attract and thoroughly educate younger drivers, similar to a tech school that teaches welding, electricians, plumbers, etc.

What brought you to the Kelly Anderson Group?

I had worked for FedEx for 12 years as a sales executive when I met Kelly. He needed to build his sales team and asked me to join his company. I saw the great family atmosphere and unique culture of this company. After sitting down with his family and mine, I knew this was the place I wanted to be. I’ve been here for two years, and I’m very excited about our future.

Jeremy Morrissey and his colleague, Scott Price, will be at the 2021 UMA Motorcoach EXPO at booth 245 in Orlando from April 21-25. They can be reached quickly at  jeremy@kellyandersongroup.com or  scott@kellyandersongroup.com

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