NEWS
May, 2013
Laurus Strategies continually looks for ways to better serve our clients, which is why we're excited about the recent acquisition of ihouse (The Information House, Inc. and Infohouse, Inc.), as of April 1, 2013. With ihouse on board, Laurus Strategies will be able to expand its suite of HR technology offerings to current and future clients.
August, 2012
Almost two and a half years have passed since President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and its companion amendment, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. The ACA makes a remarkable number of changes to the U.S. health care system, many of which directly affect employers in their role as sponsors of group health plans offered to current and former employees, and their dependents. The ACA also altered many other facets of the U.S. health care delivery and payment system, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and community health services.
June, 2012
The 2012 Best Places to Work in IL competition winners were announced at the annual awards ceremony held at The Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows, IL. Laurus Strategies was honored once again in the top ten Best Places to Work, ranking fourth in its size category. The event was attended by over 150 attendees representing 48 finalist companies in two size categories. Over 700 companies completed the application process to be considered in this year's workplace analysis and competition.
Tim O’Connell, Chief Financial Officer of Laurus Strategies, accepted the award on behalf of the entire Laurus family.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
On May 31 of this year, the Illinois House passed legislation which may signal a small step in the right direction toward reforming the state’s Workers’ Compensation (WC) system. Although not yet signed into law, Governor Quinn has promised to sign the bill, which may put some of the new measures into effect as early as September 1, 2011. Read Laurus Strategies’ overview to learn about key components of the bill and Illinois employer advocates’ reactions.
Friday, May 20, 2011
The 2011 Best Places to Work in IL competition winners were announced May 19 at the annual awards ceremony held at The Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows, IL. Laurus Strategies was honored once again in the top ten Best Places to Work, ranking third in its size category. The event was attended by over 150 attendees representing 48 finalist companies in two size categories. Over 700 companies completed the application process to be considered in this year's workplace analysis and competition. The keynote speaker was Paul La Schiazza, President, AT&T Illinois. Additional speakers included Peter Burke, President, Best Companies Group.
Mark Kendall, President of Laurus Strategies, accepted the award on behalf of the entire Laurus family, stating in a company-wide announcement, "This is truly a remarkable achievement and congratulations to everyone, as it is each of you who perpetuate the strong sense of culture and family of Laurus Strategies. And, is the reason for the fifth consecutive Top 10 ranking. A sincere 'thank you' to those who participated in this survey. We truly appreciate - and will continue to grow and improve from - your feedback."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires health plans and issuers that offer dependent coverage to make the coverage available until the adult child reaches the age of 26. When the health care reform law was passed, the federal tax code was also revised to take this new requirement into account. Therefore, for federal tax purposes, the value of employer-provided coverage for these adult children is excluded from the employee’s gross income. Tax issues arise for employees and employers when the state income tax laws do not match up to the federal laws.
Laurus Strategies’ latest issue of Compliance…the Bottom Line describes how to address the tax issues that may impact employer-provided coverage in connection with the health care reform dependent coverage rules. Click here to download the PDF.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
CBS2 stopped by Laurus Strategies’ headquarters in Chicago to get our experts’ take on the job market. “Business is good at Laurus Strategies, a consulting firm that has grown from 250 to 300 clients in the last year,” the article reads. “More clients means a need for more consultants and analysts.” Check out the article and accompanying video here, which includes comments from managing partner Scott Carter as well as partner Andrea Goodkin.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
CHICAGO & MEQUON, WISC.—WaterstoneHR, a leading, privately-held Professional Employer Organization (PEO) based in Mequon, Wisconsin, today announced its merger with EmPowerHR, one of the Midwest’s largest privately-held PEO and Human Resources Outsourcing (HRO) organizations.
"This merger will allow us to provide clients with a broader array of services and increased buying power to help them succeed in this challenging economy," said Scott Rasmussen, president and chief executive officer, WaterstoneHR. “Our customers will experience the best possible solution: the expanded resources of a larger organization combined with our hallmark, high-touch service that allows them to focus on what they do best,” he said.
The combined company, which will retain the WaterstoneHR and EmPowerHR names, will have offices in Chicago and Mequon. Robert Cerone, formerly president and chief executive officer, EmPowerHR, will now serve as President and CEO of EmPower Group, the new parent company of EmPowerHR, WaterstoneHR and cSIG HR Solutions.
"Adding WaterstoneHR to the EmPower Group family combines two leading organizations that share a common goal: to provide clients the highest level of HR services and expertise the industry has to offer," said Cerone. "As the PEO and HRO sector continues to consolidate, we are confident that this merger will further enhance our ability to serve clients in Chicago, Milwaukee and the Detroit metro area, strengthening our Midwest footprint. And as we continue to grow, clients in the Midwest, Austin, Texas and throughout the U.S. will benefit from our enhanced technology platform, greater economies of scale and other value-added services," said Cerone.
Waterstone Group, a technical staffing firm that founded WaterstoneHR, is not part of this merger and remains an independent company.
ABOUT EMPOWERHR
Founded in 1995, Chicago-based EmPowerHR is an HRO and PEO specializing in creating customized HR and benefits solutions for small and medium-sized companies nationally. Its mission: to be an essential component in helping each client manage its business effectively by delivering payroll, HR, risk management and scalable health care and administrative solutions.
EmPowerHR is a subsidiary of cSIG Holding Company, a Michigan-based organization providing management, financial, accounting and legal services for Homecare Network Services, Laurus Strategies, Real Estate Resources and Unified Property Group.
ABOUT WATERSTONEHR
Founded in 2000, Wisconsin-based WaterstoneHR is an HRO and PEO catering to small business owners. Its vision: for customers to “experience a particularly delightful level of HR services that enable them to focus clearly on what they do best.” WaterstoneHR is not affiliated with Waterstone Bank.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce recognized Waterstone HR with its Future 50 Award in 2009 and 2010. The Award is given to privately-owned businesses that have shown significant revenue and employment growth during the preceding 12 months.
Friday, October 1, 2010
EmPowerHR is pleased to announce that it has merged with CSIG HR Solutions to create one of the Midwest’s largest privately held Professional Employer (PEO) and Human Resources Outsourcing (HRO) organizations. The new EmPowerHR will offer its current and
future clients the most comprehensive human resource (HR) management and benefits services the industry has to offer.
Robert Cerone, President and CEO of EmPowerHR, will serve as CEO of the combined organization, which will become a subsidiary of CSIG Holding Company, headquartered in Michigan. Cerone said, “It is clear that…combining two highly complementary organizations and service families will create substantial customer value through improved operational efficiencies and access to enhanced technology, benefits and HR service opportunities.” EmPowerHR’s payroll and administrative services will remain in Arlington Heights, with HR and Sales offices planned to open in early 2011 in Ann Arbor and Chicago.
CSIG HR and CSIG Holding Company President Dan Hughes expressed a similar point of view. "The coming together of these two organizations was made possible by a shared commitment to delivering unprecedented, high-touch service to our clients. Another significant advantage is our increased worksite employee base and broadened regional presence. This will improve our ability to benefit clients and worksite employees directly by providing access to a more extensive menu of products and services at even more competitive prices."
About EmPower HR
EmPowerHR is a 15-year-old, Chicago-based HRO and PEO that specializes in creating customized HR and benefits solutions for small- and medium-sized companies. Its mission is to be an essential component of its clients’ success by providing them with payroll, HR, risk management and scalable health care and administrative solutions, giving them more time to manage their businesses effectively.
About CSIG Holding Company
CSIG Holding Company is an eight-year-old, Michigan-based organization that provides management, financial, accounting and legal services for several entities including Homecare Network Services, Real Estate Resources, Unified Property Group and Laurus Strategies. Laurus Strategies in particular will be able to drive even more value to EmPowerHR clients, as it offers professional services across several practice areas, some of which are already included in EmPowerHR’s suite of services. Practice areas include Communication and Design Services, Corporate Financial Services, Employee Benefits Consulting, Financial Services, Global Workforce Strategies, Human Resource Consulting, Human Resource Solutions, Non-profit and Public Affairs Consulting and Property and Casualty Insurance.
Monday, October 25, 2010
What She Does: As Vice President of Client Relations, Ebony will provide support to HRS, Client Services and Project Management, building critical relationships and developing a knowledge management discipline internally across several Laurus Strategies business lines.
Why We Hired Her: She's a force to be reckoned with! With over 20 years of experience working on an executive level in Human Resources—with such clients as Hewitt Associates and Chicago Public Schools—Ebony has routinely exceeded plan targets within her own department, reducing employee turnover and raising overall employee satisfaction in the companies with which she's worked. Her dedication to efficiency and innovation led to the development and launch of a Flexible Work Program and the reduction of operating costs at TransUnion by 25 percent. Her executive experience within HR has continually led to positive feedback from employees and added savings for her companies, trends she will surely bring to Laurus Strategies. Her responsibilities within HR have included Employee Relations, Recruitment and Retention, Performance Management, Compensation and Benefits Administration, Compliance, Organizational Development, Training and Succession Planning.
Ebony received her Masters of Arts in Human Resources from Fort Hays State University in Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Chicago State University. She is also a member of the HR Management Program for the Council of Education at George Washington University and received her certification in Business Management and Human Capital Strategy.
Monday, August 16, 2010
What She Does: Susan has a unique skill-set that makes her a valuable asset—and nice addition—to two of Laurus Strategies' practices: Global Workforce Strategies practice (GSW) and the Non-Profit & Public Affairs Consulting (NPPAC) practice. She will be working closely with Mark Kendall and Tom Emerick in the Global Workforce Strategies practice, laying the groundwork for the launching of Medical Travel and assessing the effective development of our growing business. Susan will also be working with Mike Bruni and his team in the Non-Profit & Public Affairs Consulting practice. She will act as both project coordinator and capital campaign manager for both teams, focusing particularly on enhancing annual funds. Susan brings great strength and depth to the practice through her vast knowledge of the non-profit world.
Why We Hired Her: Susan impressed us with her strategic thinking and proven fundraising skills in the non-profit industry and consulting arena. Prior to accepting this position at Laurus Strategies, Susan served in various roles at Kenilworth Union Church. She was responsible for school programs and outreach and giving programs to over 50 Chicago area agencies with a total of $300,000 in annual giving. Thresholds, based in Chicago, serves as the nation's premiere psychosocial services rehabilitation organization. Susan served as President of the Board of Directors for Thresholds, chaired the CEO Search Committee, and served as Chairman of the Governance and Recruitment Committee. Susan currently serves as a member of Thresholds President's Council.
Currently, Susan is President of The Woman's Board at Rush University Medical Center. During her tenure as President, The Woman's Board marked the end to a successful five year, $10 million dollar capital campaign pledge to Rush. This is the largest single gift in the history of The Woman's Board and will go toward building a new Heart and Vascular Center at Rush. What an accomplishment!
In addition to her extensive non-profit experience, Susan worked as a manager at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and had her own consulting business for several years. Susan holds a B.A. in Psychology from DePauw University, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University, and spent a year studying at The Family Institute at Northwestern. Susan was recently presented with the Community Leader Award from DePauw University and has been featured as a prominent fundraiser and volunteer in several Chicago newspaper and magazine articles.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
On Thursday, August 19, 2010, Laurus Strategies will be hosting a roundtable discussion on global benefits management and financing, global health care trends and more. Speakers will include leading industry experts from multinational companies such as DHL and Coca-Cola. They’ll address global companies’ strategic approaches to benefit management and global health and wellness initiatives.
The expert panel will include :
- Bill Fitzpatrick, VP of Corporate Risk Benefits, DHL GBC (UK) Ltd.
- Stacy Apter, Senior Global Benefits Consultant, Coca-Cola
- Tom Emerick, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, Laurus Strategies (former VP of Global Benefit Design at Walmart)
- Mark Kendall, Senior Managing Partner, Laurus Strategies
- Scott Carter, Managing Partner, Employee Benefits Consulting, Laurus Strategies
- Pat Gallagher, Principal, Global Workforce Strategies, Laurus Strategies
- Renee Mattaliano, Principal, Global Workforce Strategies, Laurus Strategies
Laurus Strategies has invited clients, business partners and key contacts alike. The event will take place at Laurus Strategies’ headquarters in Chicago. If you're interested in attending, please contact Pat Gallagher for more information.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Laurus Strategies will be co-hosting a health care seminar with leading global law firm Baker & McKenzie on Friday, June 25, 2010. The seminar, entitled "Health Care Reform and Other New Realities Facing Healthcare Employers," is designed to be a one-day program for in-house counsel, human resources and hospital management.
Laurus Strategies’ featured speakers include Tom Emerick, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer (former VP of Global Benefit Design at Walmart); Mark Kendall, Partner, Global Workforce Strategies; and Renee Mattaliano, Principal. Topics will include "Current Risks and Challenges to Health Care Providers," "Health Care Reform: How It Will Affect Health Care Providers" and "Effectively Managing Employee Absence, Illness, Injuries and Time Off While Delivering The Highest Quality Patient Care."
Laurus Strategies has invited clients, business partners and key contacts alike. If you’re interested in attending, please contact Renee Mattaliano for more information.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Laurus Strategies tackled Health Care Reform with a webinar today entitled "Health Care Reform: Navigating the Road to 2014." Nancy Scola Lombaer, Partner and Health Care Reform Strategist, led the webinar and was joined by Tom Emerick, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Laurus Strategies (former VP of Global Benefit Design at Walmart, Inc.) and Marlene Frank, Partner, Jones Day. The concise 30-minute webinar provided clients with a high-level overview of Health Care Reform, educating employers on what they need to know immediately, giving them insight as to what their employees want to know, as well as addressing the short - and long - term decisions employers are facing.
Laurus Strategies also announced today that a Health Care Reform Task Force has been established to field client questions, review new legislation, and provide answers/information based on trusted resources and their own knowledge of the new legislation. They will also be providing public access to a regularly updated list of FAQs. More details are forthcoming.
Many Health Care Reform resources are currently in development and will be posted online. Check out our Health Care Reform page for the latest information.
Monday, March 1, 2010
We are pleased to announce that our newest Partner and Chief Strategy officer, Tom Emerick, who developed groundbreaking employee benefit plans for the world's largest employer, has joined Laurus Strategies. Tom brings decades of experience in designing and managing employee benefits, as well as in-depth knowledge of health care reform.
Previously, Tom served as Vice President of Global Benefit Design at Walmart, Inc, where he designed and managed benefits for more than one million employees in the U.S. and 300,000 internationally. After leaving Walmart Inc., he was President of Emerick Consulting, LLC. Prior to Walmart Inc., Tom held positions with Burger King Corporation, British Petroleum and American Fidelity Assurance Company.
Tom pioneered the development of "medical travel" for Walmart Inc.’s health plans by partnering with the Mayo Clinic. The program resulted in more ethical and better quality care for employees and significant cost savings on plans. Today, the program is regarded as one of the best examples of medical travel and serves as a model for many other companies. He also spearheaded its Lean Six Sigma and process improvement initiatives.
Emerick joined Laurus Strategies’s Global Workforce Strategies practice on March 1, 2010. He works with companies that promote the wellness of their employees, seek the most appropriate benefits plans and select the best places for treatment dependent on ethical, quality and cost standards.
"Today, CFOs and senior human resource executives are faced with a highly complex healthcare dilemma, which in turn, is creating a monumental financial strain to their healthcare spending," said Emerick, a 2009 Healthspottr Future Health 100 Innovator. "Employers of any size will be hard pressed to solve today’s issues with the same strategy of yesteryear. The employer’s senior executives have to be more open to attacking the root causes of year after year cost increases. If they don’t, it will be like ignoring a tornado by closing your drapes."
Laurus Strategies is humbled to have Tom's expertise and numerous years in HR strategy and global benefits as part of the Laurus Strategies team. The experience he offers our clients will strengthen our innovative approach to helping employers implement leading-edge strategies in health care benefits management.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Today, Laurus Strategies launched our "Laurus Miles" program where colleagues can recognize one another for "going the extra mile." The program is designed to give miles to those colleagues that go above and beyond our normal work activities and jobs to help out those that need it most! It represents a simple "Thank You" to recognize someone else in the company for doing a good deed. For each mile an employee earns, he/she is entered in a drawing for a gift card. The more miles they accrue, the greater their chances are of winning. Winners are selected at random once every two months and announced at regular company-wide meetings.
The "Laurus Miles" program complements the "Heart of Laurus" program which is designed to reward employees who truly embody our internal motto of "Dream big, have courage, take initiative and be accountable."
Friday, January 1, 2010
Laurus Strategies is pleased to announce that Mike Bruni, formerly co-founder and partner of LatzBruni Partners, has joined Laurus Strategies as a Partner responsible for forming the company’s Non-Profit & Public Affairs Consulting Practice. Effective January 1, 2010, this new division offers non-profit agencies expert fundraising guidance, as well as assistance enhancing their relations with local, state and federal government agencies. Execution and management services and will operate from Laurus Strategies' Chicago headquarters.
Bruni says he was attracted to Laurus Strategies because of its steadfast commitment to combining best practices with close, customized client relationships, an approach he has used to help his clients raise more than $265 million. "Our shared philosophies make this partnership extremely desirable. More importantly, our synergies enhance the benefits made available to clients," Bruni said.
Dan Hughes, President of Laurus Strategies, said, "The partnership with Mike and his team of dedicated development experts fully equips Laurus Strategies to extend services essential for the success of non-profit agencies, including fundraising and government relations. Mike’s passion and proven skills empower Laurus to advance our mission to lead our clients to greater success."
The Non-Profit & Public Affairs Consulting Practice will specifically assist clients with:
- Leadership & Strategy Development—specifically, providing board development and training, strategic planning and case development, as well as assistance in building relationships with local and state legislators
- Fund Development—comprehensive services ranging from readiness assessments and development audits to annual fund enhancement, as well as capital campaign development, execution and management
- Communications and Marketing (in concert with Laurus Strategies’ Communications & Design Practice)—full-service communications and marketing planning, from branding and copywriting to marketing and organizational outreach strategies
- Corporate Philanthropy Solutions—assist in designing corporate giving, employee engagement, and volunteer programming, enhancing/assessing existing relationships, with special focus on providing value to the employees as well as to non-profit partners
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Laurus Strategies strongly believes that giving back to the community benefits everyone—and during the holiday season, our thoughts turn to the communities surrounding each of our locations. In 2009, in lieu of client gifts, Laurus Strategies has decided to make charitable donations to local non-profit organizations. Following is a brief description of the organizations we are fortunate enough to support and the extraordinary work they do.
Kids Hope United, Chicago, IL. KHU is a private, nonprofit human service organization dedicated to protecting children and strengthening families. They serve more than 15,000 children and families throughout Florida, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. Their vision is to have a safe and nurturing home for each and every child. Kids Hope United provides a wide array of prevention, intervention, and community-based support programs to vulnerable, high-risk populations. For more information on Kids Hope United, please visit www.kidshopeunited.org.
Buckner Children’s Home, Dallas, TX. Buckner Children’s Home is a diverse global ministry to children. Their mission is to be a multi-service agency dedicated to the restoration and healing of individuals and families. Buckner’s services include a global humanitarian aid program, volunteer missions opportunities, community enrichment and prevention programs, an international network of residential, foster care and transitional housing services, as well as domestic and international adoption and support programs for children living in orphanages in other countries. For more information on Buckner Children's Home, please visit www.bucknerchildren.org.
Tazewell County Children’s Advocacy Center, Morton, IL. This center serves the needs of abused children in Tazewell, Woodford and Mason counties of Illinois. Their mission is to provide a coordinated approach to the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child sexual abuse and serious abuse cases, which is sensitive to the child victim’s needs and holds offenders accountable. For more information on Tazewell County Children’s Advocacy Center, please visit www.tazewellcac.org.
United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) is a private, non-profit corporation established in 1965 to advocate for and provide services to Hispanic migrant and seasonal farm workers in Wisconsin. Their mission is to provide programs and services which improve the employment, education, health and housing opportunities of underserved populations. UMOS's corporate offices are located in Milwaukee, WI. For more information on United Migrant Opportunity Services, please visit www.umos.org.
Active Faith Community Services is a faith-based, licensed, non-denominational, non-discriminating, non-profit organization offering services for those who qualify and live in the South Lyon School District in Michigan. For over two decades, Active Faith Community Services has worked to improve the quality of life for low-income households residing within the school district. Their mission is to help their clients become self-sufficient. For more information on Active Faith Community Services, please visit www.activefaithcs.org.
