From staff reports
Experience Works, a temporary-staffing service formerly known as Green Thumb Inc., closed the doors of its Rochester office at 903 W. Center St. on April 12.
Experience Works, which specialized in placing older workers in temporary and temporary-to-permanent positions, had three full-time staffers and two part-time workers. All have lost their jobs.
Paul Anderson, the state director of Experience Works, said the Rochester office was a pilot program opened by Green Thumb Inc. more than four years ago. Green Thumb changed its name to Experience Works in January.
The organization received funding from the Department of Labor and fees from employers.
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Anderson said the pilot program didn't work out. "We were losing money. It just was not a viable option," he said.
In March, Pat Brown, who managed the Rochester site, said about 120 area businesses used the agency.
Anderson said Experience Works would still offer some services to workers and employers in the Rochester area through its Wabasha office.
He said it will still be able to refer job applicants to employers and on-the-job training. It also manages the geezer.com Web site, which helps seniors market products on the Internet.
