The president and chief sales officer of QPS Employment Group, Mark Immekus, passed away unexpectedly last week at the age of 52.

Immekus helped start the Brookfield, Wis.-based staffing firm in 1985 with longtime friend Scott Mayer, who is now QPS’ chairman and CEO. Immekus was promoted to president and chief sales officer in 2016.

“QPS started in my parent’s basement 33 years ago when we were both in our early 20s,” Mayer said. “Through the help of my parents assisting two 20-somethings make sound business decisions and Mark’s dedication to work alongside me, we were able to survive those first couple of challenging years. Over the years, Mark moved from being an account executive to a sales leadership role and eventual partner.”

The executive leadership team of Mayer and Immekus, along with President and COO Dan McNulty, helped grow QPS into a nearly $200 million business throughout the Midwest. The company ranks as the 23^rd-largest industrial staffing firms in the US.

“Each of us brought different attributes that worked well together for so many years,” McNulty said. “Losing Mark is like losing a brother. The three of us were always so thankful and proud of what QPS has grown into.”

Immekus loved to golf and was a musician who played bass guitar in a local church band. He leaves behind four children along with his wife, Sonja.