Sell Your Business/Staffing/IowaLast updated: October 5, 2026

Sell Your Staffing Agency in Iowa

Quick Answer
Staffing agencies in Iowa typically sell for 4x-8x EBITDA, or 2x-5x SDE for smaller owner-operated staffing agencies, per DealSeam's industry benchmarks. The Census Bureau counts 325 temporary help services businesses in Iowa, ranking 31st of 50 states, and 34% of them have fewer than five employees. The largest groups buying staffing agencies nationally include The Adecco Group (Publicly listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange), Kelly Services (Public. Hunt Equity Opportunities holds 92.2% of the voting power after buying the Adderley trust's Class B stake) and CHG Healthcare (Leonard Green & Partners and Ares Management).
2x-5x
typical SDE multiple
325
establishments in Iowa (Census 2023)
34%
have fewer than 5 employees

Who is buying staffing agencies in Iowa

We haven't found a staffing agency in Iowa owned by these platforms yet. That doesn't mean there isn't one: many acquisitions are never announced, and the company usually keeps its own name. The platforms below are the largest groups consolidating staffing agencies in the US, with each one's headquarters and scale.

PlatformOwner / backerTypeHeadquartersScale
The Adecco Group (Adecco US)Publicly listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: ADEN)Strategic / publicJacksonville, FL (North American HQ); group HQ Zurich, Switzerland100,000-plus clients worldwide (group statement, Feb 2026)Source ↗
Kelly ServicesPublic (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB). Hunt Equity Opportunities (a Hunt Companies subsidiary) holds 92.2% of the voting power after buying the Adderley trust's Class B stakeStrategic / publicTroy, MIConnects more than 400,000 people with work each year (company statement, Jan 2026)Source ↗
CHG HealthcareLeonard Green & Partners and Ares ManagementPrivate equityMidvale, UTOne of the three largest US healthcare staffing firms, with Aya Healthcare and Jackson Healthcare (SIA, Sept 2026)Source ↗
All Star Healthcare SolutionsKnox Lane (majority since May 2024; founders and management kept a significant minority stake)Private equityDeerfield Beach, FL (per its May 2025 release; the Jul 2026 release is datelined Boca Raton)Serves all 50 states. Was the eighth-largest US locum tenens provider before adding Cross Country's locums business, which was ninth (SIA, Jul 2026)Source ↗
TrueBluePublic (NYSE: TBI)Strategic / publicTacoma, WAFifth-largest US industrial staffing firm (SIA, Feb 2025)Source ↗
System OneOaktree Capital Management (first invested Dec 2020) and StepStone Group (joined Sept 2026)Private equityPittsburgh, PAOver 50 locations and more than 10,000 professionals (Sept 2026); third-largest US engineering staffing provider (SIA, Jan 2026)Source ↗
INSPYR SolutionsA&M Capital PartnersPrivate equityFort Lauderdale, FLNo. 14 on SIA's 2026 Largest IT Staffing Firms list and No. 55 on its Largest US Staffing Firms list (company statement, Jun 2026)Source ↗
GHR HealthcareMidOcean Partners (since Dec 2021)Private equityBlue Bell, PAFive offices nationwide (MidOcean portfolio page)Source ↗
Elite365 Family of BrandsRegal Healthcare Capital Partners (growth equity partner); Havencrest Capital Management supporting alongside it since the Focus Staff dealPrivate equityIrving, TX and Tampa, FLMore than 3,000 facilities in its network (SIA, Apr 2025)Source ↗
Ascend StaffingPrivately held (per LinkedIn); no outside investor named in any source readStrategic / family-ownedNorth Salt Lake, UT50 offices across the US (Sept 2025)Source ↗
Partners PersonnelPrivate company led by CEO Paul Sorensen; no outside equity sponsor named in any source readStrategic / family-ownedSanta Barbara, CAMore than 110 US locations (SIA, Jul 2025); No. 7 US industrial staffing firm with a 2.6% market share (SIA 2026, company statement)Source ↗
Elwood StaffingElwood family (a privately owned corporation led by CEO John Elwood)Strategic / family-ownedColumbus, INMore than 215 offices and more than 70 vendor-on-premise locations in 33 states after the BelFlex deal (SIA, Jan 2024)Source ↗
QPS Employment GroupEmployees, through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) completed in 2021Employee-owned (ESOP)Brookfield, WINot disclosedSource ↗
Mitchell MartinEmployees (ESOP launched Oct 2023)Employee-owned (ESOP)New York, NYNot disclosedSource ↗
Innovative Staff SolutionsMeinhart familyStrategic / family-ownedMattoon, IL25 offices (Jan 2026)Source ↗
HW Staffing SolutionsWalsh family-led (founded 1980 by Helen Walsh; CEO Ed Walsh)Strategic / family-ownedSouth Easton, MANearly 20-plus offices, mostly in New England (SIA, Jul 2026)Source ↗
EpitecFamily-ownedStrategic / family-ownedSouthfield, MINo. 206 on SIA's list of largest US staffing firms (Jul 2026)Source ↗
VeloSourceInterlock Equity (Los Angeles-based private equity firm)Private equitySt. Louis, MONot disclosedSource ↗
Masis Staffing SolutionsFamily-owned (Vaccaro family executives)Strategic / family-ownedWorcester, MAOperates in more than 27 states; first appeared on SIA's Largest US Staffing Firms list in 2026Source ↗

Ownership verified October 6, 2026. See every platform's recent deals in the Staffing roll-up tracker →

How many temporary help services businesses are in Iowa

The Census Bureau counted 325 temporary help services businesses in Iowa in 2023, ranking 31st of 50 states. 34% had fewer than five employees and 51% had fewer than 20. 97 had 50 or more.

EmployeesEstablishmentsShare
Fewer than 511134%
5 to 9309%
10 to 19258%
20 to 496219%
50 or more9730%

This counts temporary help services businesses (NAICS 561320). Permanent placement agencies (NAICS 561311) are counted separately.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 ↗ (NAICS 561320). An establishment is a single physical location, so an owner with three locations counts three times.

What a staffing agency in Iowa is worth

Staffing agencies typically sell for 4x-8x EBITDA, or 2x-5x SDE for smaller owner-operated staffing agencies, with most deals in the $500K - $10M range. These are industry-wide benchmarks, reviewed July 2026, not an appraisal of your agency.

What buyers pay more for

  • +Direct placement mix
  • +Contract/temp revenue
  • +Industry specialization
  • +Client diversity

What buyers discount

  • -Temporary labor only
  • -Single industry focus
  • -Client concentration
  • -High recruiter turnover

How selling through DealSeam works

01

A confidential conversation

We learn about your agency and what you want from a sale. Nothing is listed publicly.

02

Introductions where there is a fit

Where a qualified buyer fits your agency, we introduce you, and only after you approve it.

03

You decide

You choose whether to go further, on your own timeline. Sellers pay nothing; the buyer pays our fee if a deal closes.

Selling a staffing agency in Iowa: common questions

How much is a staffing agency in Iowa worth?

Staffing agencies typically sell for 4x-8x EBITDA, or 2x-5x SDE for smaller owner-operated staffing agencies, with most deals in the $500K - $10M range. Buyers tend to pay more for direct placement mix, contract/temp revenue, industry specialization and client diversity, and less where they see temporary labor only, single industry focus, client concentration and high recruiter turnover. These are industry-wide ranges, not an appraisal of your agency.

Who is buying staffing agencies in Iowa?

Nationally, the largest groups consolidating staffing agencies include The Adecco Group (Publicly listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange), Kelly Services (Public. Hunt Equity Opportunities holds 92.2% of the voting power after buying the Adderley trust's Class B stake) and CHG Healthcare (Leonard Green & Partners and Ares Management); 7 of the 19 platforms we track are private-equity-backed.

How many temporary help services businesses are there in Iowa?

The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 325 temporary help services businesses in Iowa in 2023, ranking 31st of 50 states. 34% had fewer than five employees, 51% had fewer than 20, and 97 had 50 or more. This counts temporary help services businesses (NAICS 561320). Permanent placement agencies (NAICS 561311) are counted separately.

Does it cost anything to sell through DealSeam?

No. Sellers pay nothing. When a deal closes, the buyer pays DealSeam's fee. There is no listing fee and no retainer.

Will my employees or customers find out I'm thinking about selling?

No. Nothing is listed publicly, and your details go to a buyer only after you approve that introduction.

Thinking about selling your staffing agency?

DealSeam works confidentially with owners to understand their options and, where there's a fit, introduces them to qualified buyers, at no cost to sellers.

Talk to us about your Iowa agency

Tell us how to reach you and we'll start a confidential, no-obligation conversation.

Confidential, and free for owners — we're paid by buyers. Prefer to lead with the numbers? Tell us about the business.

Sources

Valuation multiples are DealSeam's industry benchmarks, reviewed July 2026. Establishment counts are from the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 561320). Platform ownership comes from each platform's own or press sources, verified October 6, 2026. Named acquisitions are the deals we have recorded from public announcements, each linked to its source; they are not every deal in the state. Ownership in this sector changes often. None of this is investment, legal or tax advice.