Building a future-ready team for Estes Express.

Challenge

Nearly a century old, Estes Express is the largest privately held freight transportation company with approximately 22,000 employees. Facing the demands of a changing market, the company recognized the need to enhance its marketing and communications capabilities to drive evolving business goals. Building a cohesive team to elevate brand communication and outreach proved challenging due to limited local talent and evolving requirements.

As a large, family-owned business, Estes Express needed a trusted partner who could adapt to their unique operational and industry-specific needs. This partner also needed to cultivate strong relationships with hiring managers as they built out their Marketing Team with a variety of skilled talent.

Solution

We partnered with Estes Express to develop a tailored and flexible hiring solution that addressed their evolving needs. Our contract to hire model allowed them to assess candidates' culture fit and performance before making permanent hires, ensuring both role alignment and team cohesion.

We prioritized building strong, long-term relationships with key decision-makers at Estes Express through exceptional customer service and a personalized approach. This collaborative foundation allowed us to adapt to their needs as they grew. Our deep expertise in marketing and communications staffing, combined with our commitment to innovation—including technology-driven tools and expanded service offerings—helped us support Estes Express throughout its growth journey.

Results

Over more than a decade, our partnership with Estes Express has yielded successful placements in key marketing and communications roles, including Copywriters, Graphic Designers, and Marketing Managers. Many of these hires converted from contract to permanent positions, strengthening Estes' Marketing Team and contributing to the company's shift toward a more consumer-focused brand approach.

This collaboration built lasting relationships with internal advocates, ensuring a steady pipeline of high-quality talent tailored to Estes' needs. As Estes Express continues to expand, the company is exploring broader solutions from Aquent, including creative agency services through Aquent Studios and creative project management platform Aquent RoboHead.