By Marguerite Cleveland
Photo by Samantha Elise Tillman
Longtime Gig Harbor resident Scott Sabo is the CEO and founder of LaborWorks. He is passionate about his company which pairs workers with companies who need staffing. He and his wife Katie have four children, and three dogs and a hedgehog for pets.
Q. Your company helps pair workers with job opportunities. With many temporary workers on the low end economically, what does it mean to them to have the opportunity to earn a paycheck to help ends meet while trying to find permanent work?
A. I, along with my full-time staff, enjoy the social good we do by placing those with economic challenges to work. Many of our employees are between positions and look to us to get a “on the job” interview or to pay the bills coming in until they find gainful employment. Others have issues such as school schedules or childcare issues that prevent them from having a normal full-time position. At the same time, many companies have fluctuating staffing needs, and we use these workers to help the wheels of commerce keep churning efficiently. Many of our customers hire from this pool when they see the worker fits in culturally and performs well. We feel we must satisfy two sets of customers: the client side who pays our bills and allows us to keep running, and the worker side who we have to provide a convenient place to find work.
Q. Your son Ryan works with you at LaborWorks. What is the dynamic like working with a family member?
A. I grew up working in my father’s convenience store business, so I am happy Ryan has decided to work at LaborWorks with me. He has worked in the field for a couple of years and now is working in our headquarters as a business analyst as well as being our fleet manager, where he is responsible for the safety and maintenance of our vans used to deliver workers to job sites. I plan to continue to move him around in various departments within the business so he gets a good overall education of how we run the business. We try not to talk shop too much away from the office.
Q. Your father struggled with post-traumatic stress. How did that influence your charitable endeavors?
A. My father did two tours in Vietnam and unfortunately saw and did things he had trouble resolving. He self-medicated with alcohol to ease his pain, which brought a whole host of issues to the family once he returned to life in the States. I have seen firsthand the complications this brings to family life. I knew Leslie Mayne, the founder of the Permission to Start Dreaming Foundation, prior to her losing her son to this condition. Once I heard she started her foundation, I had to help. First it was financially, but the last four years I have led a trap shooting fundraiser called Pull for a Soldier to help raise funds and awareness to Leslie’s mission. It’s been rewarding and a lot of fun. The foundation also raises funds through the Race for a Soldier running event, the Swing for a Soldier golf tournament, and a Prayer Breakfast. All these events are becoming a core part of the Gig Harbor community.
Q. What is your favorite way to “Live Like the Mountain Is Out”?
A. I spent most of my childhood in Kansas where there is little to look at or do. In Washington there is something to do outside in any direction you go, and that is why I chose to live here. I am an outdoor person, and my favorite things to do involve water or snow. I have a wake surfing boat and I like to fish a lot. The past couple of years my youngest son has been competitively skiing with the Crystal Mountain Alpine Club, which gets me on the mountain every weekend in the winter. At 10 years old he is already better than I will ever be.