Aquent

Harvard College students John Chuang, Mia Wenjen and Steve Kapner in 1986 founded a typesetting business called Laser Designs from their Harvard dorm.[1][4][5] The business grew and they added temporary staffing related to Mac training as an offering and called it MacTemps.[1] MacTemps grew, adding non-Mac as well as permanent placements. With MacTemps no longer reflecting the business, they changed their name to Aquent, intended to mean "not a follower" in Latin.[6]

The company has grown substantially and entered into new business areas through acquisitions.

The company saw a drop in revenue in 2001 in the aftermath of the dot-com bubble with revenue dropping in 2001 compared to 2000.[7] To counter the drop off in business, Aquent purchased Renaissance Worldwide Inc., an IT consultancy and staffing firm, for $106 million.[7] Aquent at that time had been known for offering staffing of print and web designers.[7] The deal allowed Aquent to also offer back end support staffers, which was considered by the company to complement well as a package solution.[7] The acquisition of Renaissance also included a municipal and state government IT consulting subsidiary, which as initially planned was sold months later in 2002 to EOne Global for $45 million.[8]

In 2003, Aquent Studios was launched as a marketing division within Aquent that provides companies with an on/off site studio, which produces creative and marketing content. Aquent Studios also operates internationally.[3][9]

In 2003 the company made a hostile takeover offer for Computer Horizons Corporation, a computer network services company with a staffing business segment.[10] Aquent through its investment banker Robert W. Baird & Co. had initially approached Computer Horizon's management on April 3, 2003 with an invitation to have dinner, which was rejected by Bill Murphy, the President and CEO of Computer Horizons.[11] Aquent then proceeded to launch a cash tender offer on April 14, 2003 that valued Computer Horizons at $154 million.[11] This proposal was opposed by management and in May the offer was rejected.[11]

Aquent acquired Corporate Project Resources Inc. (CPRi), a staffing agency for marketing jobs, in 2005 for $25 million and renamed it Aquent Marketing Staffing while keeping its operations in Chicago.[12]

In 2006, Aquent acquired Seattle-based Sakson & Taylor, a content design and development consulting and staffing firm with a significant presence at Microsoft, along with offices in several cities. The Sakson & Taylor brand (with "an Aquent company" appended) was retained for some years, but is no longer used. The former Sakson & Taylor headquarters are now Aquent's Seattle offices.[13]

In 2011, Aquent launched a new division, Vitamin T, which focuses on placing "digital creatives" with marketing departments and advertising agencies for contract assignments.[14]

In 2012, Aquent launched Gymnasium offering free online courses for creative talent.[15]

In November 2022, Aquent announced that its talent and recruiting business and its Vitamin T brand will together become Aquent Talent. [16]

In November 2022, Aquent announced a restructuring.[17] The restructuring positions Aquent LLC as the parent brand of these global work solutions products:

• Aquent Talent
• Aquent Studios
• Aquent Robohead
• Aquent Scout
• Aquent Employer of Record
• Aquent Gymnasium

Aquent announced a goal to erase its entire carbon footprint of 35 years. From 2019 to 2021 the company reported a 90% reduction of its carbon footprint.[18]

Aquent launched a diversity recruiting solution for hiring managers called Diversity+. This solution provides diversity recruiting strategies to clients.[19]

Aquent releases a yearly Salary Guide for marketing, creative, and design talent. The 2023 Salary Guide revealed that despite inflation peaking at 9.1% in 2022, salaries across these positions increased by just 1.1%, and gender and ethnicity wage disparities are still prevalent. [20]

• Aquent ranks as one of the top firms on the Best Temp Staffing Firms list and Best Professional Recruiting Firms list.[21]
• Aquent CEO, John Chuang, named to SIA’s 2022 staffing 100 for North America.[22]
• PRO Unlimited is a global innovator of contingent workforce management software and services. When it announced its Global Supplier Awards for Service, Aquent was singled out as the sole Platinum winner.[23]
• Aquent received recognition for offering health insurance to part-time workers.[24]