What Orion Associates does

Orion Associates Incorporated is a privately held management services company headquartered at 9400 Golden Valley Road in Golden Valley, Minnesota, that provides outsourced financial, human resources, and training services to social service organizations serving people with disabilities, the elderly, and their families. Founded in 1999 as the shared services arm for an integrated family of operating entities — Meridian Services (originating the business in 1980 as Minnesota's first licensed Semi-Independent Living Skills program), Zenith Services, Orion Intermediary Services Organization (ISO), Morning Sun Financial Services, and the non-profit Headwaters Relief Organization — Orion serves both for-profit and non-profit clients through three core service lines: Payroll Services, Human Resources, and Professional Training & Quality Assurance.

Name

Orion Associates

Legal name

Orion Associates Incorporated

Website

https://orionassoc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Orion Associates is a Minnesota-based management services company providing outsourced financial, HR, and training services primarily to social service organizations serving people with disabilities, the elderly, and their families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Browns Valley

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. Management Services: Provides administrative management services including financial, human resources, and training support to related and unrelated social service organizations, both for-profit and non-profit.
2. Training Services: Offers fee-based professional training courses both in-person and online for internal staff and external human service agencies. Courses include CPR/First Aid, Positive Supports training, medication administration, and specialized disability services training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Orion Associates is a management services company that provides financial, human resources, and professional training services primarily to social services organizations serving people with disabilities, the elderly, and their families. Core offerings include payroll processing, financial reporting, accounts payable, budgeting, HR policy administration, recruitment, benefits administration, and a specialized training catalog covering positive supports, maltreatment prevention, CPR/First Aid, and Minnesota 245D compliance. Services are delivered through both direct enterprise relationships and a Learndash-powered online training platform.

Product overview

Orion Associates is a management services company that provides a portfolio of professional services primarily for social services organizations serving people with disabilities, the elderly, and their families. The company operates through multiple integrated service lines: (1) Financial Management Services including payroll processing, financial reporting, accounts payable, and billing; (2) Human Resources Services covering recruitment, benefits administration, and personnel management; and (3) Professional Training & Quality Assurance programs delivered through a Learndash-powered online training platform. The training offerings include specialized courses such as Positive Supports Core Training For Minnesota Agencies, Positive Supports Rule Refresher, Minnesota Providers Maltreatment Training, B.E.S.T. car seat safety training, and Standard First Aid/CPR certification. Additional services include the Little Stars childcare program (a CCAP Approved provider) for employees' children. The company also provides disaster relief volunteerism through its affiliated non-profit Headwaters Relief Organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Headwaters Relief Organization: A nonprofit disaster relief organization founded by Dr. Rebecca Thomley in 2005, providing clean-up, re-building, mental health support and public health services to communities affected by disasters nationally and internationally.
• Little Stars

Products and services

• Positive Supports Core Training for Minnesota Agencies Comprehensive online training program for staff at Minnesota human service agencies covering the Minnesota Positive Support Rule, behavior management, professional boundaries, de-escalation techniques, and person-centered approaches for working with people with disabilities.
• Positive Supports Rule Refresher Annual online refresher course with updated videos and interactive exercises covering principles of positive supports, behavior analysis, de-escalation strategies, and crisis intervention for staff in disability services.
• Minnesota Providers Maltreatment Training Online training covering Minnesota's maltreatment laws including the Maltreatment of Minors Act and Vulnerable Adult Act, with modules on prevention, reporting, and strategies to minimize sexual violence toward people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Minimizing the Risk of Sexual Violence Towards People with Disabilities Online training course designed to satisfy the 2020 Minnesota legislative requirement for staff to be trained on strategies to minimize the risk of sexual violence toward people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Professional Boundaries in the Disability Field Online course highlighting the benefits of professional boundaries and consequences of not maintaining them with people who have intellectual disabilities, providing guidelines for human services professionals.
• Reducing Power Struggles Training course teaching staff common mindsets that lead to power struggles, the perspective of people receiving services, and better ways to handle interactions to help individuals attain what is important to them.
• B.E.S.T. (Basic Education for Safe Travel) Hybrid car seat safety training program for foster care and daycare providers, as required by Minnesota Statute, replacing the prior C.A.R.S. Program. Includes a one-hour online training followed by a hands-on skills evaluation.
• Standard First Aid and CPR Weekly CPR and First Aid class for lay responders using American Red Cross curriculum, providing certification valid for 2 years upon successful completion.
• Little Stars Childcare Childcare center providing a safe, nurturing environment for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, with an age-appropriate curriculum focusing on art, music, imaginative play, and early learning skills. CCAP Approved and Parent Aware Accredited.
• Payroll and Financial Management Services Outsourced financial management services for social service organizations including payroll processing, financial reporting, accounts payable, budgeting and forecasting, billing services, resource consultation, and research.
• Human Resources Services Outsourced HR management services for social service organizations covering policies and procedures, recruitment and hiring, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, personnel records and record keeping, benefits administration, harassment and discrimination investigations, and form development.
• Professional Training and Quality Assurance Services Training and quality assurance services including First Aid/CPR delivery, orientation for licensed services, training resource library, vulnerable adult and maltreatment of minors investigations, quality assurance training, internal and external surveys, person-centered planning, licensing support, and program policy and procedure development.

Quantifiable outcome

• CARF accreditation maintained since 2003
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Headwaters Relief OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadwaters Relief Organization is a non-profit founded by Dr. Rebecca Thomley, President and CEO of Orion Associates. As a disaster relief collaboration of volunteers, Headwaters supports both the emotional and housing rehabilitation needs of families and communities ravaged by disaster. Nearly one-third of Orion's profits were donated to Headwaters in 2012, and over 90% of management employees participate in volunteer activities through the organization.
• Meridian ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company providing social services to people with disabilities. Orion Associates provides comprehensive management services including financial, HR, and training support.
• Zenith ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company receiving management services from Orion Associates. One of the organizations that benefited from Little Stars daycare program.
• Orion Intermediary Services Organization (ISO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated intermediary services organization under the Orion Associates family of companies.
• Morning Sun Financial ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated financial services organization receiving management support from Orion Associates.
• American Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Thomley is a member of the American Red Cross Mental Health Support Team and serves as the state Mental Health Advisor to the Red Cross. She is also the Minnesota Disaster Response Representative for the American Psychological Association. Headwaters Relief Organization works closely with Red Cross on disaster response efforts.
• American Psychological Association (APA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Thomley serves as Minnesota Disaster Response Representative for APA and is a Past President of the Minnesota Psychological Association. Orion received Best Practices Honor from APA for its Psychologically Healthy Workplace program.
• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDr. Rebecca Thomley became a member of NAWBO in 2016. She received the Woman Business Owner of the Year award from NAWBO in 2012.
• Women's Presidents' Organization (WPO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDr. Rebecca Thomley became a member of the Women's Presidents' Organization in 2012.
• Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDr. Rebecca Thomley became a member of Women Impacting Public Policy in 2012.
• American Red CrossmajorTechnology or IntegrationOrion Associates uses American Red Cross curriculum for CPR and First Aid training courses. Instructors are certified through the American Red Cross.
• LearndashcoreTechnology or IntegrationLearning management system platform used to deliver online training courses for Orion Associates training department.
• Minnesota Department of HealthmajorOthersOrion Associates follows guidelines defined by the Minnesota Department of Health for COVID-19 preparedness and general operations.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)majorOthersOrion Associates follows CDC guidelines for health and safety protocols.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Paylocity: Cloud-based payroll and HR software for mid-market and SMB employers. Comparable to Orion's payroll and HR service lines from a technology-first angle rather than a human services vertical.
• TriNet: HR solutions provider for SMBs including payroll, benefits and risk management. Comparable to Orion's HR/payroll management services as a larger, broader-market alternative.
• ADP: Global payroll, HR and benefits services incumbent serving businesses of all sizes. Comparable to Orion's payroll and HR functions as a much larger alternative, but not specialized in human services.
• Paychex: Large public payroll, HR and benefits outsourcing incumbent serving SMBs across industries. Overlaps with Orion's payroll, benefits administration and HR services but lacks Orion's human services specialization.
• Insperity: HR outsourcing and professional employer organization serving SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable to Orion's HR administration and benefits management offerings as a scaled, broader-portfolio competitor.

Direct peers

• Nonprofit HR: HR consulting, recruitment and compliance services focused exclusively on nonprofit and mission-driven organizations. Comparable to Orion's HR management services targeting social service agencies.
• Relias: Online training and workforce enablement platform for health and human services organizations. Directly comparable to Orion's Learndash-based training portal covering Positive Supports, Maltreatment, CPR/First Aid and other mandated courses.
• Viventium: HR, payroll and workforce management SaaS purpose-built for home care, behavioral health, and disability services providers. Closely comparable to Orion's HR/finance/payroll service line serving similar human services customers.

Emerging players

• Bambee: Tech-enabled HR outsourcing service providing dedicated HR managers to small businesses. Comparable to Orion's HR services as an emerging, software-augmented alternative targeting a similar SMB customer profile.

Others

• Headway: Operations and payer-credentialing platform for mental health providers. Operates in an adjacent corner of the human services sector; comparable to Orion's family of human services entities in target population, though not in service offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/orionassoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/orionassociates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orion-associates

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Orion Associates