Minority staffing firm caters to tech market

Michael Tieu sees something in minority workers that few other staffing companies do.

The 29-year-old Vietnam immigrant moved to Dallas four years ago and in 1996 started Protech International Staffing Services Inc.

The company specializes in providing primarily minority technology workers for positions ranging from design programmers to electronic assemblers.

Tieu believes minority workers are often overlooked in the hiring process because many have difficulty with the English language at first.

"That's why I think I have a niche in the market," he said. "I don't think there's an agency that understands these people as I do.

"They're well-educated, hard-working people in their countries. Here, they have a disadvantage in promoting themselves."

When Tieu moved to Texas he went to work for Kelly Services as a technical support recording manager. He did sales and recruiting for Kelly and had many opportunities to meet minorities.

"If I can do this for Kelly, why can't I do this for myself," he wondered. "You just go out and find contracts and then send people to do the job."

In June 1996, he did just that. His uncle owns a small electronics manufacturing firm in Richardson and became Tieu's first customer. In those first six months, his new staffing company earned $170,000. Last year, another office was opened in Austin and a separate company, Mid Cities Staffing, which specializes in light industrial staffing was opened in Grand Prairie. The company's 1997 revenues were $800,000.

Now Tieu is opening a fourth location in San Jose, Calif. This year he expects net profits in Dallas and Austin to total $2.5 million with another $1.5 million expected from the California office.

"New immigrants come here because they want to build a foundation for the next generation. They work for their kids and their families still in the home country. They're not out for just themselves."

Whitley is a reporter with the Dallas Business Journal, a sister publication

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