A sheet metal and HVAC company left a costly union insurance plan behind and found a payroll and benefits partner it could rely on.
How SMP Heating & Air Saved $60,000+ a Year in Benefits Costs and Nearly Doubled Its Team
SMP Heating & Air Conditioning cut its annual health coverage costs from over $90,000 to under $30,000 by moving from a union health plan to Helpside. Helpside matched SMP with benefits nearly identical to its former union plan, took over payroll so the owner didn’t need extra staff or accountant fees, and replaced paper timecards with digital timekeeping. Since partnering with Helpside, SMP has grown from 4 to 7 employees.
$60K+
Saved Annually
vs. the previous union health plan
$30K
Cheaper Than the Alternative
vs. the next-closest quote outside Helpside
0
Additional Payroll Hires
Helpside runs it all
4 → 7
Team Growth
employees since partnering with Helpside
Industry
Sheet Metal Fabrication & HVAC
Business Type
Manufacturing, Service & Mercantile
Solutions Used
Payroll, Benefits, Digital Timekeeping
The Challenge
Starting a Benefits Program From Scratch
SMP had been a union shop since its founding. When Richard took over the business, staying in the union was no longer financially feasible, and he needed to build a benefits program on his own.
The benefits cliff. Union health coverage for SMP’s four employees ran more than $90,000 a year, a cost the business could not sustain.
Cost pressure. Comparable non-union coverage from other providers still ran roughly $30,000 a year more than what Helpside could offer. That gap could have put the business’s ability to offer benefits at risk.
Admin overload risk. Without a partner, Richard faced taking on payroll on top of running the shop, or paying an accountant extra just to keep everything compliant.
The Solution
The Helpside Difference
Painless transition. “The initial startup was easy, and implementation went smoothly. Sam made it basically pain-free,” said Richard.
The hybrid advantage. “I enjoy the online access to everything. I don’t have to call and find out specific information all the time. The online hub is a great tool,” Richard said.
Custom-fit coverage. Helpside matched SMP with benefits nearly identical to its former union plan, at a fraction of the cost.
The Results
What Changed After Switching to Helpside
✓
More than $60,000 saved annually. Union health coverage cost more than $90,000 annually for four employees; coverage through Helpside cost less than $30,000 annually.
✓
About $30,000 less than the next-closest alternative. The best non-Helpside quote was still roughly $30,000 a year more expensive.
✓
Zero added accounting overhead. Payroll is now “just part of the gig,” with no extra accountant fees.
✓
Nearly doubled the team, growing from 4 to 7 employees since partnering with Helpside.
✓
Full online access to payroll and benefits, with no more waiting on phone calls for basic information.
✓
Paper timecards eliminated. Richard says Helpside helped bring the company into the 21st century with a digital system that makes job costing “smooth.”
Want the full story? Download the two-page SMP Heating & Air case study.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did SMP Heating & Air save by leaving its union health plan?
SMP saved more than $60,000 a year. Its union health coverage cost over $90,000 annually for four employees, and Helpside brought that cost under $30,000 a year with benefits nearly identical to the former union plan.
Can a small HVAC or sheet metal company offer benefits comparable to a union plan?
Yes. SMP Heating & Air, a four-person shop when it joined Helpside, received benefits nearly identical to its former union plan at a fraction of the cost. The next-closest option outside Helpside was still about $30,000 a year more expensive.
How does a PEO help a small trade business with payroll and benefits?
A PEO like Helpside gives small businesses access to benefits and HR support that are hard to secure on their own. For SMP, Helpside provided benefits, ran payroll so the owner didn’t need extra staff or accountant fees, and replaced paper timecards with digital timekeeping that simplifies job costing.
What was switching to Helpside like for SMP?
According to owner Richard, the startup was easy and implementation went smoothly. He now uses Helpside’s online hub to access payroll and benefits information without needing to call for answers.
Did working with Helpside help SMP grow?
Since partnering with Helpside, SMP has nearly doubled its team, growing from 4 to 7 employees.
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