Class 2001
County Achievement Awards
Hampden County
Mary Ellen Canavan
United Personnel Services
In 1984, Mary Ellen and her husband Jay founded United Personnel Services, a full-service staffing company with headquarters in downtown Springfield. Since that time, United has grown to more than 13 full-time people, and employs over 2,000 temporary field staff per year. The company has been nationally recognized two years in a row by INC. magazine as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States. United has also received numerous awards from the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and in 1998 was named Small Business of the Year. Since her husband’s death in 1999 Mary Ellen has continued to lead the company with the able assistance of her two daughters Patricia and Andrea, who are co-owners.
Mary Ellen is an active contributor to several of our local non-profit and charitable organizations. She serves on the boards of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the Springfield Symphony, Springfield Assistance Corporation, Scibelli Enterprise Center, Hampden Savings Bank, and the Colony Club.