As Steve York retires after 44 years of leadership, Contract Professionals, Inc. honors the veteran founder who turned a staffing company into a mission-driven organization.
When Steve York founded Contract Professionals, Inc. on March 2, 1982, he did more than start a business. He built a company around service, opportunity, and trust.
A Michigan native and U.S. Air Force veteran, Steve served in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1976. During his first four years, he worked in Aircraft Maintenance and achieved the rank of E-5 Staff Sergeant. After that, he served four more years as part of the Michigan Medical Recruiting Team.
That experience shaped the way Steve viewed people, work, and leadership. He understood discipline, commitment, and follow-through. More importantly, he understood the value of helping people find the right opportunity.
Those values became the heart of CPI.
“Steve built CPI with a clear purpose,” said Jack W. Van Tiem, President and CEO of CPI. “He understood that this business was never just about filling positions. It was about helping people find meaningful work, helping companies solve critical workforce challenges, and creating opportunity with integrity.”
After his military service, Steve saw a way to connect skilled professionals with meaningful civilian careers. He recognized the value veterans could bring to employers. At the same time, he understood that companies needed dependable, capable people who could step into complex roles and make an impact.
Steve turned that vision into CPI.
Steve York Retires After Building CPI from the Ground Up
In its early years, CPI focused on defense and technical staffing. As the company grew, Steve expanded its reach into automotive, manufacturing, information technology, engineering, and professional services.
Over time, CPI supported major defense programs, automotive companies, suppliers, manufacturers, and organizations that needed specialized talent. The company also became a trusted resource for employers and candidates looking for support in defense, skilled trades, information technology, engineering, and mobility staffing.
In 1990, CPI established its headquarters in Waterford, Michigan. That move further anchored the company in the community where Steve’s vision continued to grow.
Under his leadership, CPI earned recognition as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country, including a place on the Inc. 500 list in 1987. That same year, CPI also earned recognition among the Michigan 100, reflecting the company’s rapid growth and strong business momentum.
Still, Steve’s leadership was never only about growth.
It was about people.
Steve York’s CPI Legacy Through Change
Over the years, CPI faced the same challenges that tested many companies: economic shifts, industry changes, the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19, and an evolving workforce landscape.
Through each season, Steve led with steadiness and resilience. He made difficult decisions when needed. However, he stayed focused on preserving CPI’s mission, supporting employees, protecting the company’s future, and continuing to serve clients and candidates with integrity.
“Steve’s leadership showed up most clearly during the difficult seasons,” said Van Tiem. “He had the ability to make hard decisions while staying grounded in the values that made CPI strong. His resilience helped this company move through uncertainty and continue serving the people and organizations that depend on us.”
Because of that steady leadership, CPI remained strong through uncertain times.
Steve also helped shape a culture where long-term commitment matters. Clients, candidates, and employees have long known CPI for reliability, relationships, and follow-through. Many employees have spent decades with the company, which reflects both the organization Steve built and the values he carried into leadership every day.
A Veteran Founder Retires, But the Mission Continues
A veteran founded CPI, and a mission-first mindset shaped the company from the beginning.
Steve’s military background has always been an important part of CPI’s identity. He built the company with a lasting commitment to supporting both military veterans and civilians. Today, that commitment remains part of CPI’s work.
As Steve York retires, CPI carries forward the veteran-founded values that shaped the company from the beginning.
CPI continues to recruit, employ, and support veterans while serving skilled professionals across defense, manufacturing, engineering, IT, skilled trades, and technical operations. As a result, the mission remains active, relevant, and deeply connected to Steve’s original vision.
“CPI was never built around one person,” said Steve York, founder of CPI. “It was built around a mission: helping people find opportunity, helping companies find the talent they need, and doing that work with honesty, respect, and purpose. That mission is what I am most proud of, and it is what will continue.”
Steve’s retirement opens a new chapter in CPI’s history. However, it does not close the mission he started.
Instead, CPI carries that mission forward.
Honoring Steve York’s Impact on CPI
Steve York’s impact can be measured in many ways. As CPI’s founder, he built the company from the ground up. Through that work, he helped launch careers, supported clients through changing markets, and created opportunities for veterans and civilians. Just as importantly, Steve built a workplace where many employees developed long-term careers.
Yet perhaps his greatest legacy is the standard he set.
Serve with purpose.
Lead with resilience.
Do the right thing.
Take care of people.
Keep moving forward.
Those principles guided CPI for more than four decades. Now, they will continue to guide the company into its next chapter.
As Jack W. Van Tiem leads CPI forward as President and CEO, the company remains focused on growth, innovation, client service, and the mission Steve established in 1982.
“CPI’s future is possible because of the foundation Steve created,” said Van Tiem. “His vision, his service, and his belief in people will remain part of who we are.”
Because Steve built CPI with purpose, the company’s future stands on a strong foundation.
Thank You, Steve
Steve York’s retirement is more than a leadership transition. It is a moment to recognize a career defined by service, entrepreneurship, perseverance, and purpose.
From his years in the U.S. Air Force to his decades leading CPI, Steve has left a lasting mark on the company, its employees, its clients, its candidates, and the broader staffing and defense communities.
As Steve York retires, his influence remains part of CPI’s culture, mission, and future.
On behalf of CPI, we thank Steve for his vision, leadership, and dedication.
His legacy will continue every time CPI helps a company find the right talent, every time a candidate finds the right opportunity, and every time the company lives out the mission he started on March 2, 1982.
To learn more about CPI’s work today, visit Contract Professionals, Inc.. To explore current openings, view CPI’s job opportunities.
