We’ve set a record in this issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog! What is that record, you ask, if you haven’t had the chance to read the title of this blog post?

Well, the record is the number of Top Echelon recruiters who are making their first Network split placement! And, once again if you haven’t had the chance to read the title of this blog post, that number is seven!

Congratulations to the following recruiters who have completed their very first split placements with Top Echelon!

1. Lauren Soldwisch of Adams CG
2. Jeremiah Coggins of Diamond Standard Recruiting
3. Trent Fields of Career Development Partners, Inc.
4. Mike Girard of United Future
5. Rob Sappenfield of Sappenfield Staffing, Inc.
6. Alisha Kuch of Welsh & Associates, Inc.
7. Stephen George of SteveRecruiter, LLC

But wait, there’s more! Two of these recruiters made multiple Network split placements recently.

Jeremiah Coggins made three splits, while Rob Sappenfield was part of two splits. In fact, one of Jeremiah’s three splits was with Trend Fields! That’s what you call starting your Top Echelon Network career with a “bang.” (Figuratively, of course.)

As you might expect, some tenured recruiters also made split placements recently. They include Top Producers Brad Doge of iLocatum Recruiting and John Peterson of Sun Recruiting, Inc. Brad accounted for four split placements, while John was part of three splits.

As a friendly neighborhood reminder, here is the information that we publish with our placements:

• Names of the split recruiting partners involved (with their profile photos, when available)
• Job title
• Overall placement fee (before TE’s 6% brokerage fee, of course)
• Fee percentage

Please note that the placements listed below reflect deals finalized in Top Echelon Network for the period from August 5 through August 18, 2024.

Remember, if you don’t want information related to your Network placements published in The Pinnacle, please send an email to marketing@topechelon.com to that effect.

Congratulations to everybody below for the split placements they made in Top Echelon Network!

This Week’s Top Echelon Split Placements

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Job recruiter: Keith Cornelison of Personnel Resources

Candidate recruiter: Sara Alexandroff of Sterling St. James, LLC

Job title: MEDICAL ASSISTANT

Overall placement fee: $5,982

Fee percentage: 18%

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Job recruiter: Lauren Soldwisch of Adams CG

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: PROJECT ENGINEER – HEAVY CIVIL

Overall placement fee: $25,000

Fee percentage: 25%

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Job recruiter: Krista Smith of Valentine Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: BEVERAGE DIRECTOR

Overall placement fee: $15,300

Fee percentage: 18%

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Job recruiter: Nathan Gruen of Gruen Search Consultants, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER

Overall placement fee: $24,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Sherry Umpleby of Innovative Search Solutions

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: PRODUCTION SCHEDULER

Overall placement fee: $18,700

Fee percentage: 22%

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Job recruiter: Jeremiah Coggins of Diamond Standard Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Trent Fields of Career Development Partners, Inc.

Job title: FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN

Overall placement fee: $17,000

Fee percentage: 20%

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Job recruiter: Jim Sitek of FSN

Candidate recruiter: Mike Girard of United Future

Job title: TRANSPORTATION MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $18,750

Fee percentage: 25%

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Job recruiter: John Peterson of Sun Recruiting, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Rob Hunter of Questgroup Consultants, Inc.

Job title: JUNIOR AUTOMATION CONTROLS ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $23,625

Fee percentage: 22.5%

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Job recruiter: Jeremiah Coggins of Diamond Standard Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Jim Ingram of Jim W. Ingram

Job title: FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN

Overall placement fee: $17,000

Fee percentage: 20%

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Job recruiter: Jon Sullivan of Ethical Search Professionals, Ltd.

Candidate recruiter: Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc.

Job title: VALIDATION ENGINEEER

Overall placement fee: $23,125

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: John Peterson of Sun Recruiting, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc.

Job title: PLANT RELIABILITY ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $26,400

Fee percentage: 22%

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Job recruiter: John Peterson of Sun Recruiting, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Hani Mussa of Knowhirematch, LLC

Job title: CHEMICAL ENGINEER – FOODS

Overall placement fee: $20,250

Fee percentage: 22.50%

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Job recruiter: Laura Petraitis-Doll of LS Doll & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Rob Sappenfield of Sappenfield Staffing, Inc.

Job title: DIVISION EHS MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $35,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Alisha Kuch of Welsh & Associates, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Rob Sappenfield of Sappenfield Staffing, Inc.

Job title: OPERATIONS MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $28,000

Fee percentage: 28%

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Job recruiter: Stephen George of SteveRecruiter, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Gary Schultz of Work 22, Inc.

Job title: OPERATIONS MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $26,250

Fee percentage: 21%

— — —

Job recruiter: Amylyn Kyler of Kyler Professional Search

Candidate recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Job title: INSIDE SALES ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $15,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Genie Matthews of Genie Matthews and Associates

Candidate recruiter: James Sullivan of Ethical Search Professionals, Ltd.

Job title: SENIOR SITE ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $35,000

Fee percentage: 25%

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Job recruiter: Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing

Candidate recruiter: Gary Thompson of Gary Thompson

Job title: SAFETY MANAGER – MULTI-SITE

Overall placement fee: $22,500

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Jeremiah Coggins of Diamond Standard Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Krishonna Williams of She Recruits, LLC

Job title: FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN

Overall placement fee: $16,000

Fee percentage: 20%

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If you’re a newer Network member and you’d like to enjoy more success in our recruiter network, then I encourage you to contact Top Echelon Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

You can do so by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

Only one more month to go in summer, and you know what that means, right? Yes, it means that we at Top Echelon are sad.

However, it also means that we’re coming down the homestretch in terms of our first-ever Hall of Fame induction announcements. And that makes us happy! (Boy, the mood swings with us, right?)

Anyway, this is a special week because we’re inducting our first Top Echelon Network agency into the Hall of Fame. Which agency is that, you might be asking yourself right now?

Well, if we told you now, that would take the fun out of it, don’t you think? As well as the surprise. And I think we can all agree that we need more fun and more surprises in our lives. Or fun surprises.

(Remember, there are some surprises that are decidedly NOT fun.)

But enough of that . . . onward and upward! Below are the Top Echelon Hall of Fame inductees for this week:

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— — —

NO KNOCK ON WOOD: Many of the recruiters that we’ve inducted into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame so far joined Top Echelon early in their recruiting careers, and their business grew right along with their Network membership.

You can count David Wood, CPC of The David Wood Company in Vancouver, Washington among that contingent.

That’s because David started in the recruiting profession in 1987 with a firm that worked primarily in nuclear power. Specifically, he was hired to start recruiting in the independent or non-utility power generation segment. In 1992, he moved from San Diego, California to Vancouver to open a new branch office. Ultimately, he left that firm in 1993 to start his own agency, and one year later, he became a member of Nationwide Interchange Service (NIS).

By now, you know that NIS was the original name of Top Echelon Network. Specializing in the Power industry, David has made 115 TE placements during his 30 years as a Network member. According to Top Echelon President and CEO Mark Demaree, David’s loyalty to Top Echelon and his commitment to split placements have been integral to his long-standing success.

“David has been one of the most consistent producers in the history of Top Echelon Network,” said Mark. “Year in and year out, he maximizes the value of his membership by fully leveraging the tools and services that we offer. He is, without a doubt, a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”

We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of David Wood into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!

— — —

— — —

COMPANY MAN: There have been a lot of recruiters who have been committed to Top Echelon as Network members.

But Jim Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick & Associates married an employee of Top Echelon. Well, to be fair, the name of the company was Nationwide Interchange Service (NIS) when Fitzpatrick joined as a member in 1992. And to be even fairer, Jim—who met his future wife at a NIS conference—called Canton, Ohio home. And Canton, of course, was and always has been the location of Top Echelon headquarters.

But enough about how Top Echelon has enriched Jim’s personal life. Let’s move on to his professional life.

That’s because Jim, who specialized in the Semiconductor industry, made 180 TE placements during his 28 years as a Network member. Not only did he reach multiple milestones in his Top Echelon career, but he also became one of the Network’s all-time cash-in leaders.

Of course, his belief in the power of networking was certainly a factor in his success, as he continued to attend TE events and build relationships with trading partners even after meeting his bride-to-be.

According to Top Echelon President and CEO Mark Demaree, Jim made Top Echelon Network a part of his business model early in his recruiting career and his commitment to making split placements helped fuel his agency’s growth and success.

“Jim Fitzpatrick embraced Top Echelon Network like few recruiters have,” said Mark. “His dedication was evident during nearly three decades of membership, as were his contributions to his trading partners and other TE members.”

We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of Jim Fitzpatrick into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!

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— — —

NEXT LEVEL: There are recruiters who are successful using Top Echelon’s tools and services, including its recruiting network. Then there are those who are “next level.”

Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC in Tiffin, Ohio is on that elite level.

Maria joined Top Echelon Network in August of 2005 with business partner Joanna Spaun shortly after they formed MJ Recruiters. Since that time, Maria has made 248 TE placements, placing her among the all-time leaders in the Network in terms of cash-in.

Although many Top Echelon members are passionate about TE, Maria is once again “next level” in her commitment to the Network’s philosophies and applying them to fuel MJ Recruiters’ business growth during the past two decades.

“I’m passionate about TEN, and everyone who knows me can attest to that,” said Maria, who specializes in the Manufacturing industry. “In 2022 and 2023, 37% of our placements were splits with other recruiters. This network has expanded our business by territory and niche. We confidently take job orders outside of our usual disciplines and geography, knowing that our TEN partners will help us fill them.”

In addition to her production, Maria has served as a model of success for other members of Top Echelon Network. A big believer in face-to-face networking, she and Joanna have attended nearly every TE conference and convention since joining the Network nearly two decades ago.

So if there is anybody who knows how to unlock the power and potential of Top Echelon Network, it’s Maria Hemminger.

“To new recruiters [in Top Echelon], I say this: Don’t wait to see the value of TEN. Dive in, attend conferences, and connect with others,” she said. “This network is about more than just making splits. It’s about the knowledge you gain, the partnerships you form, and the support you receive. You are never alone in TEN—there’s always someone who has your back and can offer tactical and strategic advice. The value goes beyond just filling placements and making money.”

We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of Maria Hemminger into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!

“I am beyond thrilled to share that I have been inducted into the TEN Hall of Fame!” said Maria.

— — —

— — —

TEAM EFFORT: The recruiting agency MJ Recruiters, LLC was founded on August 1, 2005 in Tiffin, Ohio. Three weeks later, on August 22 of that year, MJ Recruiters joined Top Echelon Network as a member agency.

Nineteen years later to that very day, MJ Recruiters is the first recruiting agency to be inducted into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame!

Since August 22, 2005, MJ Recruiters has accounted for 290 placements within Top Echelon Network. According to partner and owner Maria Hemminger, the Network has been integral to the agency’s growth over the years.

“Joanna [Spaun] and I started this adventure back in August 2005, and one of the best decisions we ever made was joining Top Echelon Network,” said Maria. “With nearly 300 split placements, it’s clear that joining TEN was pivotal for our success. Working with this network has not only helped us fill more placements, but it’s has also enriched us professionally with invaluable lessons, camaraderie, and growth.”

“We started our recruiting business 19 years ago, and in 2005, we made the strategic choice to join Top Echelon—one of our best decisions,” added Joanna. “Since then, we’ve made over 290 placements through Top Echelon and look forward to many more in the future.”

According to Maria, the success of MJ Recruiters—both within TE Network and overall—has been and continues to be a team effort.

“This incredible honor is truly a group effort,” she said. “I want to take a moment to celebrate the amazing women who make up our MJR team and share this accomplishment with them.

“First, a huge shoutout to Joanna Spaun, my business partner of 19 years and co-worker for 23 years. Together, we’ve built something special. Lisa Reinbolt, our very own Wizard, has been with MJR for 15 years, and Clare Brickner, our social media and recruitment expert, has been rocking it with us for seven years. Together, we bring over 70 years of Manufacturing recruitment experience to the table!”

In addition to thanking her team, Maria also wanted to thank the many Network trading partners who have helped MJ Recruiters enjoy runaway success in TE since 2005.

“MJR primarily operates as an importer, with 86% of our placements since joining TEN being where we have the job order,” she said. “Thank you to all the exporters who have supplied us with candidates and helped us fill our clients’ positions faster. I have total respect and appreciation for your hard work.

Now, time to make another split!”

We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of MJ Recruiters, LLC into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member agency of the 2024 class!

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Be sure to check The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog—as well as Top Echelon’s official LinkedIn account—for future announcements regarding 2024 inductees into Top Echelon’s Hall of Fame!

Top Echelon Connect Fall 2024 will be here before you know it! And, incidentally . . . so will Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year.

But forget about all of those holidays right now! Why did you even bring them up? No, it’s time to focus on TE Connect Fall 2024 and only on TE Connect Fall 2024.

With that in mind, I’d like to re-re-announce that there are three main sponsors of TE Connect Fall 2024. They are as follows:

• Recruiters Websites
• SourceWhale
• Quil.ai

Last week, I focused on Recruiters Websites within the pages of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

This week, I’m going to focus on SourceWhale, the business development and headhunting platform. SourceWhale, which is a partner of Top Echelon Software, helps supercharge your client and candidate approach to gain better engagement, book more meetings, and drive higher revenue.

Scott Littrell, President of SourceWhale, will be presenting one of the sessions at TE Connect Fall 2024. The title of that session is ” SourceWhale: Data-Driven Strategies for Business Development.” The session is scheduled for 10:00 to 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday, September 25.

Once again, below is the important logistical information regarding TE Connect Fall 2024:

• Dates: September 23-25
• Location: Canton, Ohio
• Early Bird Registration: $325 per person through Saturday, September 7

As we’ve done for our past several recruiter networking events, we have a special website dedicated to TE Connect Fall 2024.

The URL for that website is connect.topechelon.com. In the meantime . . .

Click HERE to register for TE Connect Fall 2024!

If you have any questions about registration (or about any other aspects of the conference), please contact me at 330.595.1742 or via email at drea@topechelon.com.

Last week in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, I posed a series of questions designed to help determine your current stage as a networker.

This week, I’m going to discuss the five stages of a networker in Top Echelon overall.

As a member of our exclusive recruiter network, you fall into one of these five stages. The objective of this exercise is to determine exactly in which stage you currently reside. After that, you’ll have to decide what you must do to move to the next stage.

There are two parts to each of the stages. First, there’s a description of the stage. Second, there’s a description of the level of satisfaction associated with each stage.

Stage 1 Networker

Description: They’re just “planting the seeds” of networking and considering how it could have a positive impact on their business. They don’t yet have a strong history of making split placements.

Satisfaction level: Unless they get lucky, they will not make any split placements. If they don’t evolve quickly into a Stage 2 Networker, they normally will quit the Network within the first three to nine months.

Stage 2 Networker

Description: They are now “sending out roots” to attempt to establish themselves in the Network.

Satisfaction level: They are somewhat pleased with Top Echelon Network as a service company. However, if expenses need to be cut, the Network would be one of the first to go.

Stage 3 Networker

Description: They are now “branching out” into the Network and wanting to make their Network split recruiting fees a dependable part of their income.

Satisfaction level: They’re beginning to view Top Echelon Network as a true partner in their business, rather than some service to which they merely subscribe. They’re pleased with Top Echelon Network, but they recognize that it could be even better. Even when they hit a dry spell and haven’t had any Network splits in a while, they won’t drop their membership in order to cut expenses because they recognize that their trading partners have the potential for generating revenue for them.

Stage 4 Networker

Description: Their development as a networker is “growing strong and healthy” at this point.

Satisfaction level: They firmly recognize that Top Echelon Network is a partner in their business. They know that the Network is here to help them and vice-versa. They treat Top Echelon Network as a business partner and expect the same in return. A good network will not only attract good recruiters, but also retain them. They begin relying on the Network to continue to surface good trading partners.

Stage 5 Networker

Description: Now networking efforts are “bearing fruit” as they enjoy the significant financial rewards of networking. They are firmly planted in the Network.

Satisfaction level: They view the Network as a vital segment of their business. They recognize that Top Echelon Network helps sustain their core group relationships and acts as a continual source of new trading partners for them. They’re very pleased!

If you’d like to know how you can reach the next stage of networking, please contact me. You can do by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

Top Echelon offers a free monthly webinar as part of its Expert Recruiter Coaching Series.

These webinars touch upon a variety of recruiter-related topics. These topics deal with both job candidates and clients. As always, our goal with these webinars is to help agency recruiters and executive search consultants just like YOU make more placements.

We record these webinars for recruiters who can’t attend the live presentation, and we’re now pleased to offer the video from our most recent webinar by Tom Erb of Tallann Resources.

The title of that webinar (and corresponding training video) is “Strategies for Securing Job Orders in a Softening Market”

Below is the official description for this training video:

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Navigating through periods of softening demand can be challenging for recruiters and staffing professionals. However, it’s during these times that innovative strategies can make all the difference in securing job orders and maintaining business momentum.

In the next webinar video in Top Echelon’s Expert Recruiter Coaching Series, Tom Erb of Tallann Resources delves into actionable insights and best practices tailored specifically for direct hire staffing professionals facing a softening market. Learn how leveraging technology and data can help your firm optimize business processes and decision making.

During this webinar, attendees will learn:

• How understanding market dynamics can help recruiters anticipate shifts and adapt business approaches
• Ways to strengthen relationships with clients and explore new partnership opportunities
• How to diversify service offerings to mitigate the effects of market fluctuations
• Tips for enhancing candidate relationships to maintain a strong talent pool

There’s plenty of year left in 2024, which means there are plenty of opportunities to make more placements, so watch this training video and discover “Strategies for Securing Job Orders in a Softening Market”!

Watch this FREE training video!

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Recorded versions of our Expert Recruiter Coaching Series of webinars are posted on our website as free online recruitment training courses in the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Library.

Keep an eye out for the next free webinar in our Expert Recruiter Coaching Series!