Brothers Mike Munafo, left, and Tony Munafo run Prolink.
Tony and Mike Munafo are carrying out their late father’s dream of having his own business in a blockbuster fashion he might not have imagined his sons would achieve.
Tony and Mike Munafo are carrying out their late father’s dream of having his own business in a blockbuster fashion he might not have imagined his sons would achieve.
“Our goal inside of 20 years is to create a $1 billion-a-year staffing company,” said the younger of the two brothers, 35-year-old Mike. He and his older brother, Tony, have built a recruitment and workforce management company that started with three employees in 2011. Today, the staff of 220 operates in six cities spanning from Phoenix to Pittsburgh.
Tony is president and Mike is staffing director at Cincinnati-based Prolink Services. The brothers grew their company from the ground up, inspired by their father, who died of cancer at age 39.
“Mike and I always had in the back of our minds that we wanted to carry out our father’s dream of creating a business,” Tony said. Their father, he said, taught them a strong work ethic and confidence that perseverance could drive results.
The two grew up in West Chester Township and graduated from Moeller High School and the University of Kentucky. They worked in the recruiting field for a combined 18 years before striking out on their own at first to help health care institutions hire speech, physical and occupational therapists.
Prolink revenues hit $47.8 million in 2016, establishing a 307 percent growth rate from 2014. Tony estimates revenues this year could soar to $75 million.
A six-year Ohio state tax credit Prolink received in March is worth an estimated $344,000 and will help the company relocate from its Montgomery office – the Munafos expect to announce to where later this summer – open offices in Tampa, Fla., and St. Louis by year’s end and approximately double its workforce.
“So,” Mike said, “whoever wants to be on board, we’re hiring.”
Named by the Courier as a Best Places to Work winner for the last five years, Prolink emphasizes hiring and maintaining a staff of recruiters and business managers.
“You hear people say, ‘Hey, we wish we were at that company 20 years ago,’” Mike added. “Well, we’re that kind of company.”
Prolink has added clients in industries such as manufacturing, banking and engineering to its health care base. It customizes its approach to each challenge, Tony said, offering to place workers in jobs via contract, contract for hire or direct placement. Prolink also offers vendor management system selection guidance and payroll services.
“Our whole goal is not to be a one-time solution … it’s to be a long-term partner and a lasting solution for our clients,” Tony said.
The Munafos said the positive professional culture they have developed within Prolink is more precious to them than profits.
“We never, ever sacrifice our culture to hit any revenue number,” Tony said. “The key to our growth is our people. We are constantly in the market to find people to join our team and continue to propel our company forward.”
- Top local executive: Tony Munafo, president
- Address: 10700 Montgomery Road#319, Cincinnati 45242
- Phone: 513-489-5300
- Web address: Prolinkstaff.com
Revenue:
2016: $47.8 million
2015: $27.4 million
2014: $11.7 million
Revenue growth:
307%
