History of Jeane Thorne Inc.

Jeane Thorne Inc. has long been recognized as the temporary and full-time staffing and management services firm that is a “cut above” both in the employees and service it provides. Comprised of a staff of professionals with personality, the company is committed to provide only the best in quality and customer service for all its constituents.  Jeane Thorne Inc., providing the Absolute Best Talent in Minnesota since 1969.

How it all began:  From 1962-1969, Ms. Norma Jeane Thorne, the individual, worked for a publicly held temporary help service. She realized that the industry was on the ground floor of its growth and she wanted to be part of the ownership of this industry. 

Thus, Jeane Thorne Temporary Services, Inc. was founded on July 31, 1969. Three women invested in the business and Norma Jeane actively ran the business and became known as Jeane Thorne. Jeane hired Mary Marso, today’s current majority owner, as her first full-time staff member. Two years later Jeane became the sole owner of the company. The first office opened in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota (leasing a 300 square foot space for $120 per month). At that time first class postage was six cents; and the total first year advertising expenses were $229.73.

Jeane and Mary’s approach to business resulted in establishing successful business relationships throughout the St. Paul area. The firm became a highly respected provider of administrative temporary staffing support.

New leadership for a changing industry:  In 1984 Mary purchased the business from Jeane Thorne and began to expand the scope of services offered as well as it's locations.

The 1990’s included geographic expansion into Minneapolis and Mankato, Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota; and Kansas City, Kansas.  In 2001 the decision was made to sell the ND and Kansas markets and concentrate geographically on our home state, Minnesota, in order to expand the services available to our Minnesota clientele. Today Jeane Thorne Inc. provides both temporary staffing and direct hire placement opportunities.  It has expanded its services for clients, and opportunities for job seekers focusing on administrative, accounting, customer service, finance, legal, and medical support.  The firm supports needs for services associated with staffing such as human resource management projects, software skills training (certified by the Minnesota Dept of Education), skills testing, and payroll servicing.  As a family owned business, majority ownership is held by Mary Marso, with three minority owners, sons Andrew Schmitz, Jeffrey Schmitz and Ted Schmitz. Mary serves as CEO, focusing on marketing and community relations; and Andrew, who has been a full-time staff member since 1996 is President/COO.

 In 1992, the company’s name was changed from Jeane Thorne Temporary Services, Inc. to Jeane Thorne Inc., reflecting the shifting nature of the services and opportunities provided. Temporary staffing continued to be a key component of the business, and in addition, direct hire placement and managing long-term client staffing solutions became a significant elements of the services provided. Temporary employees began to view Jeane Thorne as their employer of choice. This became, for many, their “real job” with real benefits, opportunity for growth and the unique opportunity to retain (or create) their own personal work life flexibility. Since we were providing much more than a temporary employment solution, "Temporary Services" was dropped; and "Jeane Thorne" continued to reflect the continued commitment to professional, personalized service upon that which the company's reputation had been built.

A history of commitment:  Jeane Thorne has consistently set and raised the standards for the staffing industry. It was the first Minnesota-based staffing service to provide full-time careers in temporary positions; the first to provide employer-paid healthcare coverage for its employees; the first to provide dental care reimbursement and paid time off package; the first to establish an affirmative action plan in 1989; and the first to establish free, comprehensive, multi-media computer training for its employees. It is also the first to provide real time in-depth Internet management tracking reports to its client base via its website. 

A strong emphasis of commitment and continues to be made to its employees. This is demonstrated not only by the strong benefits package available, but also in scholarships, employee recognition initiatives, and employee events. For a complete listing of current benefits, see Employee Benefits. Jeane Thorne’s employee reward system benefits clients also.  When employees feel valued, their commitment to a job well done is enhanced. 

The history of civic and community involvement has contributed to Jeane Thorne’s high visibility and standing in the marketplace, earning it both industry and community respect. JTI has won two Business of the Year Awards; has been recognized by the Minnesota Keystone Program annually since 1989 for its charitable contributions in excess of 5% of profits; and is recognized by the United Way for its generous commitment of giving back to the community. JTI has sponsored and underwritten the cost of an annual golf tournament benefiting St. Joseph’s Home for Children, having raised over $500,000 to date!

JTI has also won national awards for outstanding training and outstanding benefits in the staffing industry. It has been recognized for five years as one of Minnesota’s Top 25 Women-Owned Businesses. The Marso Foundation, founded by Owner and CEO, Mary Marso, supports educational needs of youth through post-secondary scholarships at Minnesota universities. Jeane Thorne’s ownership and staff serve on the boards of numerous civic and community boards receiving a number of individual recognition awards. This listing is only a small sampling of Jeane Thorne Inc.’s strong track record.

The history of Jeane Thorne positions the firm to provide an ever increasing positive role in Minnesota’s workforce of the future.