Genesis begins its 25th year! | GenesisHR Solutions

By: Bob Burbidge

On January 3^rd, 1991, Wayne Gretzky scored his 700^th goal against the New York Islanders playing for the Los Angeles Kings, George H. W. Bush was in the White House and the Gulf War was at its peak. And in Lexington, Massachusetts, Genesis Employment Services began operations.

OK, I’ll admit that the birth of our company didn’t cause a blip on the news radar. Still, both Gretzky and President Bush are long since retired, but Genesis is not. Far from it! On January 3, 2015, we at Genesis HR Solutions began our 25^th year as the only certified Professional Employer Organization (PEO) headquartered in New England. We know that the best is yet to come.

In 1991, the PEO industry was in its formative years. The concept of co-employment, while taking root nationwide, was most prevalent in California, Texas and Florida, where the first licensing bill for our industry was signed into law. Despite the fact that New Hampshire became the second in 1994, “employee leasing” (which was the label given by many jurisdictions to what has evolved into today’s PEOs), was slow to take hold in New England. Today, it is quite another story.

In addition to New Hampshire, today licensing bills are the law of the land in Rhode Island and Vermont, while regulatory recognition is clear in the remaining New England states. And here in Massachusetts, a state with minimal PEO representation a generation ago, today ranks 8^th nationwide in employees who are employed in a PEO relationship. Not bad. And given the emerging small business markets in the Commonwealth, the news can only get better.

Adding to the parade of good news is that President Obama signed the Small Business Efficiency Act (SBEA) into law a couple of weeks ago. The PEO industry has been advocating for the small business community on a federal level for more than 20 years, and to see the SBEA become the law of the land is an important development for PEOs and the clients they serve.

For those of us at Genesis, we view our 25^th year as an important milestone. Much has happened since 1991 and we are honored to be a cornerstone of the development of the PEO industry in New England. To illustrate:

1991: Genesis Employment Services incorporated.
1992: Company name changed to Genesis Consolidated Services.
1994: Genesis Senior Management helps author the New Hampshire Employee Leasing Act.
1996: Genesis named the 3^rd fastest growing privately held company in the country by Inc. Magazine.
1996: Genesis is accredited by what is known today as the Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC). Continued accreditation has been in place since that time.
1996: The Genesis Battlegreen Run takes place for the first time. In 2015, the 20^th running will take place. To date, more than $250,000 has been raised for local charities.
2001: Genesis initiates a fundraising effort to support a scholarship fund for families who lost loved ones on 9/11. Clients and local citizenry donate generously.
2002: Yours truly becomes President of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations.
2005: At the annual NAPEO conference in Dallas, I am awarded the Michaeline Doyle Award for service to the PEO industry – an honor not remotely possible without the continued support of the Genesis management team.
2011: Genesis moves to new corporate headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts
2012: Genesis Consolidated Services changes its name and branding to Genesis HR Solutions.
2013: Genesis agrees to partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to exclusively provide their comprehensive health insurance plans to its clients in 2014.
2014: Diane Stevenson and Patty Hilger are both named as Presidents of Genesis HR Solutions.
2014: President Obama signed the Small Business Efficiency Act (SBEA).
2015: Genesis HR Solutions begins its 25^th year.