GREENVILLE, S.C. — Thomas Robinson, an entrepreneur and South Carolina native, is featured on the 2021 Black History USA calendar with dignitaries such as Vice President Kamala Harris and current advisor to the Biden administration Susan Rice.
Robinson has been making a difference and giving a voice to many Black Americans in the Carolinas for over 30 years.
"I was humbled by the recognition," Robinson said. "Definitely very pleased with that. My family was very excited for me ... But I think it more important that I stand on the shoulders of MLK and others who have paved the way for me to have my own business.”
Robinson left corporate America and started Corporate Staffing Services, which specializes in the placement of office and clerical, light industrial and medical staffing.
“I knew that if I could start a temporary staffing agency, I could help more people and obviously people of color," Robinson said. "And I’ve been able to do that in the field of nursing, engineering and also manufacturing.”
Now, they have eight staffing offices. His efforts to Black South Carolinians don't stop there. He's joined boards to ensure he can help small businesses secure loans.
"The issue here is you have to be at the table, able to serve on certain boards to know what is going on in your city," Robinson said.
He's very proud of the accomplishments he's made with his business, too.
“We started a business with $6,000, and we’ve grown now to realize $20 million a year annually in terms of revenue," Robinson said. "More importantly dealing with people and helping individuals in my community i.e. people of color. We’ve given opportunity for them to expand. We also do a mentorship program to assist them in terms of avoiding certain pitfalls. Those two things I’m most proud of.”
Robinson sees a bright future for Greenville.
“Historically Greenville was a textile city and now is definitely a diverse city in terms of automobile manufacturing here. We have 3M and several large companies are here. We home anchor with the largest healthcare organization in the city of South Carolina. It’s very diverse.”