---
title: "No Job is Too Small for the Express Employee of the Year"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/bfcceabe-bed3-490d-b1ef-c03d7dd7f1c6
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20200318_no_job_is_too_small_for_the_express_employee_of_th.html
category: "General"
published: 2020-03-18T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:08:25.768Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1524749292158-7540c2494485?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# No Job is Too Small for the Express Employee of the Year

**TL;DR:** Express Employment Professionals recognized Michelle Marie Smith as the Express Employee of the Year award winner for her outstanding work ethic. Express Employment Professionals has more than 825 franchises in the U.S., Canada, and South Africa, and will expand to Australia and New Zealand.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2020-03-18. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20200318_no_job_is_too_small_for_the_express_employee_of_th.html).*

## Story

OKLAHOMA CITY (PRWEB) March 18, 2020 - In 2019, Express Employment Professionals put 552,000 people to work, but one incredible employee stood out among the others and was recently recognized for her work ethic at the company’s annual leadership conference.

Michelle Marie Smith was one of five nominees for the Express Employee of the Year award, ultimately securing the top honor and accepting the prize in person at Express’ International Leadership Conference (ILC) in Nashville, Tennessee. She was initially awarded $1,000 from Express as the Employee of the Year winner for her region, eventually winning $5,000 as the overall winner, plus an all-inclusive trip valued at more than $2,000.

Smith was placed on her first assignment with the Oxford, North Carolina, Express office as an inventory specialist for Bed, Bath, & Beyond more than 70 miles away. Despite the long commute, she never complained, leaving home at 4:30 a.m. to be at work by 6. The Bed, Bath, & Beyond team was so impressed with her attention to detail and efficiency, they requested her for two other projects, located even farther away.

“Michelle has a ‘no job is too large or small’ attitude, and our clients often request her by name and will rearrange projects to fit her availability,” said Hal Muetzel, Express franchise owner in Oxford, NC. “Coworkers often comment on how much Michelle has impacted their lives by the way she takes ownership of her job, through her work advice, spiritual guidance and moral support. We are extremely blessed to have Michelle as an employee.”

The remaining four nominees also received $1,000 as regional Employee of the Year winners, however, during the awards ceremony, Express surprised them with $5,000 each in appreciation of their dedication to the company.

“All of the Employee of the Year nominees are assets to Express, and we appreciate their hard work and positive attitudes every day,” said Bill Stoller, CEO and chairman of the board for Express. “They continue to inspire us to go above and beyond and we are proud to celebrate this elite group.”

Other nominees for Employee of the Year included:

- Devonne King - Owatonna, Minnesota

- Phyllis Cotton - Valparaiso, Indiana

- Jerrell Davis White - Marlton, New Jersey

- Roger Digerness - Tacoma, Washington

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 825 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa, and beginning in 2020 will expand to Australia and New Zealand. Since its inception, Express has put more than 8 million people to work worldwide.

At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, our international network of franchises offer localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve, employing 552,000 people across North America in 2019. For more information, visit

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- franchise expansion (topic)
- General (sector)
- Nashville (location)
- Express Employment Professionals (company)
- Bill Stoller (person)
- staffing solutions (topic)
- Bed Bath & Beyond (company)
- employee award (topic)
- Oxford, North Carolina (location)

---
Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20200318_no_job_is_too_small_for_the_express_employee_of_th.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/bfcceabe-bed3-490d-b1ef-c03d7dd7f1c6).