The Doherty Story | Our Shared Legacy
The Doherty family of companies has been a trusted leader in staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions since 1980, when Tim and Valerie Doherty founded Quality Temp, the company that would become Doherty Staffing Solutions. Over the decades, the organization expanded its service offerings, earned numerous industry accolades, and built a reputation for innovation, ethical business practices, and exceptional client service.
A significant milestone in this journey came in 2017, when DAHL Consulting joined the Doherty family of companies. This strategic acquisition united two respected Minnesota-based organizations with a shared commitment to connecting great people with great opportunities. By bringing together DAHL’s expertise in professional staffing, consulting, and workforce solutions with Doherty’s established employment services network, the combined organization strengthened its ability to serve clients across industries and talent needs.
Today, DAHL Consulting continues to build on that legacy, offering specialized talent solutions, managed services, consulting expertise, and workforce strategies that help businesses thrive and professionals advance their careers. Together with Doherty Staffing Solutions, we remain committed to delivering exceptional service, fostering meaningful relationships, and creating positive impacts in the communities we serve.
- 1980 – Doherty Staffing Solutions (originally named Quality Temp), the temporary staffing and recruiting business, is established by Tim and Valerie Doherty.
“The company was started in the midst of a terrible recession when companies were likely to cut back on temporary employees and at age 26, I didn’t know much about running a business. But despite those obstacles, the business model just made sense,” Tim says.
- 1982 – Doherty installs its first computer system. It is one of the first organizations in the industry to take advantage of technology for candidate search and retrieval, straight through from front to back office.
- 1985 – Inc. Magazine names the company as one of the 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies.
- 1993 – Recognizing a trend toward human resource services outsourcing to save companies time and resources, Tim and Valerie form Doherty Employer Services (a PEO or professional employer organization).
“We have a goal of relieving business owners of their human resources burdens, and that goal worked well for us and them,” Valerie says.
- 1994 – Tim is a founding board member of the Employers Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC).
- 1998 – Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Woman Business Owners (NAWBO) awards Business Owner of the Year to Valerie Doherty. The company is also first recognized as one of the largest woman-owned businesses in Minnesota by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
- 2002 – Tim becomes national President of ESAC.
- 2004 – Tim joins the executive committee and board of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO).
- 2006 – Doherty is recognized as the third-largest woman-owned business in Minnesota by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
- 2007 – Tim is elected national President of NAPEO. Doherty first receives Women Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
- 2008 – Tim and Valerie are honored as the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, Entrepreneurs of the Year.
- 2009 – Tim is inducted into the American Staffing Association (ASA) Leadership Hall of Fame and honored with the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations’ (NAPEO) Michaeline A. Doyle award. Doherty was also bestowed two prestigious awards by the Minnesota Family Business Awards committee. Valerie won the Female Executive of the Year and the company was recognized as the Emerging Award winner.
- 2012, 2013 & 2014 – Doherty is recognized as the second-largest woman-owned business in Minnesota by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
- 2014 – Doherty is named an honoree of the Minnesota Business Ethics Award to recognize our company’s high standards of ethical behavior and practices. Additionally, Doherty was included on Staffing Industry Analysts‘ (SIA) 2014 List of Largest US Staffing Firms.
- 2014 through 2025 – Doherty achieves national standards as a Star Tribune Top Minnesota Workplace.
- 2015 – Valerie Doherty is bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Minnesota chapter.
- 2016 – The Doherty family began 2016 with a renewed focus on their staffing and recruiting company (Doherty Staffing Solutions), after the business acquisition of their PEO company (Doherty Employer Services) to Oasis Outsourcing.
- 2017 – To expand our service lines for clients, Doherty strategically acquired Dahl Consulting (Doherty Consulting Inc.), a renowned and reputable staffing and recruiting firm with a proprietary Vendor Management System (VMS) technology. Our Twin Cities North Metro office moved into a brand new location, built in Brooklyn Center. In addition, Valerie Doherty was named to SIA’s 2017 Global Power – 100 Women in Staffing List.
- 2018 – Valerie Doherty is inducted into the Minnesota NAWBO Hall of Fame. Doherty Staffing Solutions and Dahl Consulting (together) were ranked #88 in Minnesota’s 100 Largest Private Companies List and also ranked #2 on the Largest Women Owned Businesses in Minnesota by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. DAHL moved from their Little Canada office to a newly renovated space in the Roseville West building. In addition, Valerie Doherty was named to SIA’s 2018 Global Power – 100 Women in Staffing List.
- 2020 – Doherty is included on SIA’s List of Diversity Firms and celebrates a milestone anniversary of 40 years. Additionally, Doherty is recognized as the fourth-largest woman-owned business in Minnesota by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
- 2021 – The Doherty owners create the Doherty Family Foundation to give back to charitable organizations in the communities where their family of companies provide employment-related services.
- 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 – Doherty receives designation as a Top Workplaces USA.
- 2022 – William (Billy) Doherty, President, is named to Staffing Industry Analyst (SIA)’s 40 Under 40 List.
- 2023 – William (Billy) Doherty, President, is named to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 List.
- 2023 & 2025 – Forbes names Doherty Staffing Solutions to their America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms award lists.
- 2025 – Doherty Staffing Solutions & Dahl Consulting celebrate a milestone anniversary, 45 years of successfully providing employment solutions.
- 2026 – Doherty Staffing Solutions & Dahl Consulting named to Business Insider America’s Top Recruiting Firms List, Dahl Consulting recognized as Top1000.com Global Recruiting, Staffing & Executive Search Companies List, Doherty Jobs Mobile App Hits 20,000 Downloads, Doherty Staffing Solutions & Dahl Consulting named to Forbes America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms 2026 List, Mick Doherty, Executive Vice President, named to SIA’s 40 Under 40 List, Dahl Consulting and Doherty Staffing Solutions receive Best of Business Awards from Twin Cities Business Magazine.