Forty Under 40: L. Paul Dobbs

When L. Paul Dobbs and his mother started A.S.A.P. Services Inc. in 1990, they had no way of knowing their $3,500 investment would grow into a business that pulls in more than $10 million in annual revenue.

Now, nearly 11 years later, the light industrial temporary staffing agency employs about 30 people fulltime and hires between 600 and 1,000 temporaries.

The 33-year-old vice president is responsible for identifying new markets and programs, but said he is involved with every aspect of the business.

“I oversee just about everything we do, from temporary staffing to sales,” Dobbs said. “I press a lot of palms.”

Dobbs said he also enjoys spending time on cars. He buys and sells them, taking time to “play” with them. Having gone through his muscle-car phase, Dobbs now focuses on sport cars, with his dream one being a 1997 Pro C-46 Porsche, arena red with gray leather interior.

As one of Northwest Arkansas’ successful businessmen, Dobbs is proud of A.S.A.P. Services’ success, primarily because of how little it started out with.

“The fact we’ve made a success in starting from absolutely zero is a pretty big accomplishment,” Dobbs said.