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It is with sadness that we
report that Mike Kutka, who began his staffing industry
career in 1964 and founded Tempdigest International, Inc.
(now staffdigest) in 1983, passed away on January 19, 2008
at his home in Houston, Texas.
Mike started out in the staffing industry in White Plains,
New York, in 1964 with Manpower Inc. He later moved to
New York City and thereafter was promoted to a management
position in Cincinnati, Ohio. He joined Dictaphone
Office Temporaries in Houston in 1967 and in 1969 was
promoted to New York City Regional Manager. In 1970,
Mike joined the newly-formed Temporaries Inc. in Houston and
in the ensuing 12 years developed nine offices for the
company in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana with sales of $15
million and a 10 percent net income before tax. Mike
left Temporaries Inc. in 1982 and joined the Manpower
franchise in Houston as vice president of operations until
1983 when he formed staffdigest.
As publisher of staffdigest, Mike built a two-page
newsletter into an 80 page color magazine with subscribers
in all 50 states and 17 other countries. In addition
to the magazine, Mike also began writing and producing audio
and video training products for the industry including the
incredibly successful, "Temp Manager's Report". The
"Temp Manager's Report" was one of the first
training programs designed for the entire staffing company
staff (manager, salespeople, and service reps). The
twelve tape set went on to sell over 4,500 copies in a
five-year span. Well-known for his willingness to
address tough issues, Mike wrote about and produced tapes on
"How to Compete Against the Price-Cutters" and
"Selling Against the Nationals". With
staffing industry legal expert, A. Bernard Frechtman, Esq.,
he spoke out and tackled the explosive issue of tempnapping.
Mike was a true champion of "the independent staffing
service" who was never afraid to speak out.
Mike retired over five
years ago but he always had an "itch" for
staffing in his blood and was quick to ask what
was going on with the industry, conferences and those he
knew in staffing.
Mike will be greatly missed by
those in staffing but his memory will live on in the future
issues of staffdigest and in the non-profit organization,
The House of Amos that he started.
Mike had a zest
for life, his family and serving those in need. In
1996 while sitting in a pew at a Catholic Church, Mike
took the words of eighth-century B.C. prophet Amos "for
the corrupt and greedy powerful to remember the neglected
poor" to heart. Shortly after hearing the
lesson about Amos' call, Mike founded a small food pantry he
opened and named for the prophet.
The small food pantry he
put in place at 8030-A Boone Road, Houston, TX 77072 has
grown to offer immunizations, education and referral
programs for a growing number of low-income Houston
residents each year. After 11 years, The House of
Amos is a multi-program complex that shows every sign it's
here to stay with a wealth of enthusiastic volunteers.
Mike's family asked that
donations be made to The House of Amos rather than flowers
and the donations received in memory of Mike
will be the seed money to start a "Workplace
Literacy Program" at The House of Amos.
Those enrolled in the
program will be mentored and tutored by a retired IT
Specialist in the ways of working a computer, the
internet, software, how to use a copy machine and other
general office procedures. It is a program, Mike
would have whole heartily endorsed and would have asked
when the candidates would be trained so he could get them
out on assignments!
If you and your staffing
service, would like to help plant seeds of wisdom with
the Workplace Literacy Program at The House of Amos, then
please send donations to: The House of Amos, Inc.,
P.O. Box 720779, Houston, Texas 77272-0779.
Now, as Mike would say, "Get
out there and sell something."
  
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