Client Description

A large commercial food supplier based in Western Washington and Oregon with 400 employees, in business for 102 years

Challenge

This fast-growing company had recently acquired a competing business, which resulted in doubling the total number of employees. They needed a benefits solution that would work in Oregon state, even though the client’s headquarters are located in Washington. 

Adding to the challenge was that the acquired company had a union-based benefits plan, which was extremely expensive, and now needed to move to a private sector plan. The client looked to Berg Benefits to solve this problem.

Solution

Berg Benefits developed a three-phase plan:

  • Phase 1 – Berg identified non-union, fully-insured benefits that matched or exceeded the plan.
  • Phase 2 – Berg Benefit’s brokers personally met with every acquired employee one-on-one to answer questions, and educate them about upcoming transition. Each employee needed to agree to changing the plan from union to private.
  • Phase 3 – Berg negotiated with a fully-insured carrier to customize the benefits to match the previous plan.

Result

Berg Benefits was able to save the client $500,000 during the same year as the acquisition of the new company. Additionally, looking toward the client’s future, Berg Benefits:

  • Set up a benefits admin system to manage their open enrollment digitally for employee onboarding.
  • Through its excellent and ongoing relationship, was tapped to provide Third Party Administration (COBRA) services through its sister company RedQuote.