Company History

1940s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

1946 Dawson is founded by John and Josephine Dawson to help soldiers find work as they return home from World War II.

1966 1966 1966 1966 1967

Joseph DeCapua purchases Dawson for $3,050. Joseph DeCapua hires Phil Freeman, the first employee. Dedicated Office division is officially established. Operating sales reach $3,125, with 41 people placed. Dawson introduces employer-paid fees, which become an industry standard.

1971

1977 1979

Selective Secretaries is started to compete with Dawson, where the newest employees are trained. The Temporary Office division, Dawson Girls, is established. New Headquarters is purchased at 383 East Broad Street.

1981 1985

1987

Sales exceed $1 million. Major Milestone: After 39 years, Dawson has helped a total of 50,000 people find jobs. Chris DeCapua joins Dawson.

1991 1992

1994 1994 1996

1999

Sales top $4 million. Light Industrial division is established (now called the Warehouse & Distribution division). David DeCapua joins Dawson. Accounting & Finance division is established. Major Milestone: After 50 years, Dawson has helped a total of 100,000 people find jobs. Chris and David DeCapua purchase Dawson from their father.

2000s

2010s

2020s 2000

2001

2002

2003

2005

2009

Sales exceed $16 million.

IT division is established.

Healthcare division is established.

Vendor Management Services begins in partnership with leading local healthcare systems.

Dawson acquires Accountants on Call and their business at premier Client BMW Financial Services.

Marketing & Creative division is established.

2010

2011

2013

2016

2017

2018

2019

TalentRooster, an online video interviewing platform, is launched.

The Dawson Bus, our mobile recruitment center, puts its wheels in motion and sales top $51 million.

Major Milestone: A new corporate office opens at 1114 Dublin Road and Dawson has helped more than 250,000 people find jobs.

Dawson acquires Atrium Holdings, adding offices and staff in Heath, Mount Vernon, and Strasburg.

The Dawson Community Champions Foundation has raised more than $35,000 and Dawson Colleagues volunteered more than 1,000 hours in their communities.

The Employment Experts is introduced as Dawson’s new tagline, and congruent ad campaign better defines its complete service offerings – Job Placements, HR Management Solutions, and Community Workforce Programs.

Dawson presents first ever Central Ohio Workforce Summit in conjunction with The Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Central Ohio Workforce Development Board, hosting HR executives and partners from premier Central Ohio employers and educational institutions.

2020 Growth is the goal at Dawson, and a new Reynoldsburg hiring office and Warehouse Training Center opens as a secondary headquarters for Dawson’s Job Placements business.

2021 – Dawson celebrates 75 years as the Employment Experts, helping more than 300,000 people find jobs.