Grand Rapids-Based Benefits Firm Expands to Metro Detroit
Mar 13, 2024
Opening an office in
suburban Detroit gives Advantage Benefits Group Inc. a base from which to grow
in Southeast Michigan.
The Grand Rapids-based
employee health and retirement benefits firm aims to pick up clients in the
market with an analytics platform designed to identify cost savings for
clients.
Data analytics provides
employers greater insight into their claims data and spending to gauge cost
drivers, potential cost drivers, gaps in care, and cost and quality differences
between hospitals and other care providers that “allows us to help employers
and their employees from being over-charged for services,” Advantage Benefits
Group President Bob Hughes told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
“With our data analytics
now really identifying more opportunities to reduce costs rather than just
shifting them to employees, we thought it’s working for a lot of great
employers over here and there are a lot of great employers over there,” Hughes
said. “Costs keep going up, hospital costs are going up, and it’s still a tight
labor market. Employers provide great benefits, but the cost is going up and
you can’t skimp on benefits, and you can’t shift to employees.
“Everyone’s still
looking for creative ideas on how to reduce benefit costs without passing on to
employees, and that’s really been our DNA.”
The move into the
Detroit-area market “marks a significant milestone for ABG as we continue
to grow our presence and better serve clients across Michigan,” he said.
The Southfield office,
located at 26677 West Twelve Mile Road, Suite
161, became 27-year-old Advantage Benefit Group’s third location.
In addition to the main downtown Grand Rapids office, the firm has a location
in Traverse City that opened six years ago.
The Detroit-area market
was “the next logical place” for the firm to expand, “and there’s a lot of
great, great businesses there,” particularly in the manufacturing sector that
Advantage Benefit Group targets, Hughes said.
“It won’t be easy, but
there are some amazing employers over there that we feel like we can help, and
we’re in it for the long haul,” he said. “There’s so much opportunity.”
Advantage Benefits Group
started the Southfield office with one benefit consultant and expects to expand
to a staff of 10 to 15 people over the next few years, Hughes said. The
firm employs 43 people “and growing,” he added.
Source: Crains Grand Rapids