Associated Employers

What Associated Employers does

Associated Employers is a non-profit, member-owned professional employer association founded in 1916 and headquartered in Billings, Montana, with additional offices in Missoula, Montana and Post Falls, Idaho. It serves small and medium-sized businesses across the Rocky Mountain and Inland Northwest region (Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho) with an integrated suite of human resources, payroll, benefits, training, and safety services delivered under a tiered annual membership model ($725-$1,300 by company size, with a 25% dual-membership discount when paired with the affiliated Montana Safety Services Council). Its core technology surface consists of three proprietary platforms: GraniteHR, a cloud-based HRIS marketed as a low-cost alternative for SMBs; Slate Payroll, a web-based time-and-payroll system launched in 2021; and AnswersNow (powered by Wolters Kluwer's CCH content), a 24/7 HR compliance resource covering all 50 states.\n\nThe business model combines recurring membership dues with multiple service-based revenue streams: subscription payroll processing, a partially self-funded Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA) that delivers group health, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits through carrier partners (VSP, Lincoln Financial, The Hartford, ChoiceCare), pre-employment background checks via a partnership with AAIM Employers' Association, compensation surveys covering 300+ regional job classifications, employee/customer opinion surveys, DiSC assessments, and a training catalog delivered through public classes, customized on-site sessions, and a paid webinar library. The wholly-owned subsidiary Associated Management Services (AMS) administers insurance and benefits administration.\n\nCustomers span SMBs and mid-sized employers across diverse industries including automotive, dental, transportation, utilities, and safety services (e.g., Hanser's Automotive, Paradise Dental Technologies, Karst Stage, PPL Montana), with member testimonials emphasizing personalized service, HR hotline responsiveness, and training quality. The organization emphasizes longevity (110+ years), local expertise, and member-controlled ownership with no external equity or profit expectations.

Name

Associated Employers

Legal name

Associated Employers

Website

https://associatedemployers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Associated Employers is a non-profit, member-owned professional association founded in 1916 serving small and medium-sized businesses in the Rocky Mountain and Inland Northwest (Montana, Wyoming, Idaho) with integrated HR, payroll, benefits, training, and safety services delivered through proprietary platforms (GraniteHR, Slate Payroll, AnswersNow) and a tiered annual membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Billings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues billed based on company size (number of employees). Tiers: 1-30 employees $725, 31-70 employees $875, 71-100 employees $1,100, 101+ employees $1,300. Dual membership with MSSC includes 25% discount on both memberships.
2. Payroll Processing Services: Full-service payroll processing including tax deposits, check/direct deposit preparation, withholding reports, quarterly and annual tax form preparation (941/943, 940), W-2/W-3 preparation, state unemployment payments. Processing payrolls ranging from few to over 150 employees.
3. Health Benefits - Group Benefit Plan & Trust: Partially self-funded Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA) providing group health benefits. Operates as a trust administered by a Trust Committee. Members pool together for partial group pooling. Revenue generated through employer and employee contributions to the trust.
4. Training Services: Training and webinar programs offered to members at discounted rates. Webinar access: $155 for 90-day access ($125 for members). Class registration: $25/person or $175 for table of 8.
5. Premium Only Plans Administration: IRC Section 125 compliance administration for pretaxing employee premium contributions. One-time fee of $400 for preparation of Plan Document, Summary Plan Descriptions, Enrollment Forms, and employer/employee meetings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Associated Employers is a non-profit membership association that provides small and medium-sized businesses with a comprehensive suite of HR, payroll, benefits, training, and workplace safety services. Members gain access to proprietary technology platforms (GraniteHR, Slate Payroll, AnswersNow), an HR hotline, compensation surveys, group health benefits through a self-funded MEWA trust, and training programs. Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership dues priced by employee count, supplemented by service fees for payroll processing, training, and benefit administration.

Product overview

Associated Employers is a professional employer organization (PEO) and business services company founded in 1916, serving the Rocky Mountain/Inland Northwest region. The company offers an integrated suite of HR, payroll, training, insurance, and business solutions primarily through service-based delivery rather than a single software platform. The core technology products include Slate Payroll (web-based payroll and time management software launched 2021) and GraniteHR (a cloud-based HRIS for small/medium businesses). Supporting services include CCH HR AnswersNow (24/7 compliance resource), pre-employment reference checking through AAIMEA, compensation surveys, employee/customer satisfaction surveys, DiSC assessments, and training/webinar programs. Insurance offerings are provided through the Associated Employers Group Benefit Plan & Trust (a self-funded MEWA) with partners including VSP for vision, Lincoln Financial and The Hartford for disability/life insurance. Safety services are delivered through the Montana Safety Services Council (MSSC). Business solutions encompass executive coaching, strategic planning, succession planning, and meeting facilitation. Members also receive access to an HR hotline, monthly newsletter, employment posters, and discounted training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GraniteHR: HRIS platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses providing human resource management features with customizable options.
• Slate Payroll
• Granite HR

Products and services

• GraniteHR

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves members up to 15% or more on insurance costs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montana Safety Services Council (MSSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993MSSC is a not-for-profit educational association established in 1993 providing safety and health services. AE offers dual membership with 25% discount off both annual membership dues. MSSC serves over 130 businesses in manufacturing, construction, medical, retail, wholesale, transportation, and refining throughout Montana and Wyoming. Services include occupational safety training, consulting, technical assistance, needs assessments, safety audits, and safety program development.
• AAIM Employers' AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership arrangement with AAIMEA for pre-employment reference checking services. AAIMEA is a human resource association comprised of over 1,600 employers. They provide county criminal/civil searches, credit reports, DOT checks, education/employment verifications, E-Verify, motor vehicle reports, national sex offender database, professional license verifications, and background checks. Members receive valuable discounts on reference checking services through this partnership.
• The HartfordminorOthersThe Hartford Life Insurance Company provides additional Voluntary Life insurance beyond basic levels ($5,000-$50,000) attached to the AE Group Benefit Plan. Available in $10,000 increments up to $500,000 as employee-paid, voluntary life insurance that is convertible and portable.
• Lincoln FinancialminorOthersLincoln Financial provides short and long-term disability insurance benefits for employees through Associated Management Services (AMS), AE's subsidiary. New Long-term Disability policies include 'Employee Connect' EAP at no additional cost with 24x7x365 telephonic and web access plus up to 4 face-to-face sessions.
• Vision Service Plan Insurance Co. (VSP)minorOthersVSP provides vision insurance through Associated Management Services (AMS), AE's subsidiary. As the nation's largest provider of eye care coverage, thousands of companies and over 46 million participants rely on VSP. No ID cards or claim forms required for participants.
• Wolters KluwercoreTechnology or IntegrationWolters Kluwer team of employment law editors provides content for the AnswersNow HR resource. Content includes expert analysis of HR compliance issues, state employment law summaries, sample policies and forms. The platform is available 24/7 to AE members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): SHRM is the largest national HR professional association offering membership, training, certifications, and HR resources; not a direct PEO competitor but competes for the same HR professional audience and employer training budget.

Emerging players

• Justworks: Justworks is a modern PEO targeting SMBs with simple payroll, benefits, and HR compliance - directly competes with AE on user experience and pricing for younger, smaller employer prospects.
• Gusto: Gusto is a cloud-native payroll, benefits, and HR platform aimed at SMBs and competes head-on with AE's GraniteHR and Slate Payroll; an emerging threat specifically to AE's tech-enabled service revenue stream.

Broad incumbents

• Paychex PEO: Paychex's PEO/HR Outsourcing division provides co-employment, payroll, and benefits administration to SMBs - overlaps directly with AE's service bundle and competes for the same 1-150 employee sweet spot.
• Insperity: Insperity is a national Professional Employer Organization offering bundled HR, payroll, and benefits to SMBs - competing with AE for the same employer-sponsor segment but at national scale and with substantially broader R&D investment in proprietary technology.
• TriNet: TriNet is a national PEO serving small and medium-sized businesses with co-employment, benefits, and HR technology - comparable service mix to AE and a threat in any out-of-state expansion scenario.
• ADP TotalSource: ADP TotalSource is the PEO arm of ADP, offering co-employment, payroll, benefits, and HR technology to SMBs; competes with AE's GraniteHR/Slate Payroll and bundled-services positioning but with national scale and brand.

Direct peers

• Employers Council (Colorado): Employers Council provides member-driven HR, training, and survey services to employers across the Mountain West; directly comparable to AE as a non-profit employer association with bundled services and wage/benefit surveys.
• AAIM Employers' Association: AAIMEA is explicitly partnered with Associated Employers for reference-checking services and serves 1,600+ employers with HR consulting, surveys, training, and benefits support - the closest direct regional employer-association peer offering a similar membership bundle.
• Mountain States Employers Council: Mountain States Employers Council is a regional employer association covering Colorado and surrounding states with HR, legal, training, and compensation-survey services - structurally identical to AE's Rocky Mountain/Inland Northwest focus and member-paid model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AEhumanresource

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Associated Employers