History

In the early 80's, four local businessmen in Bradenton, Florida noticed a growing problem; in Florida, where the construction industry was booming, small business owners were struggling to find ways to insure their employees and give them the competitive benefits that larger, more lucrative businesses offered. Business owners were overwhelmed, spending too much time shopping for workers' compensation coverage and dealing with the administrative side of their businesses, rather than doing what they went into business to do - make money.

Recognizing this problem, using their own personal experience, and mixing in a lot of good common sense, these four men pioneered the employee leasing industry - designing a business model that would primarily benefit the high-risk businesses that make up the construction industry.

In 1984, Bill Mullis and four business associates founded Staff Leasing (now Gevity HR), a fledgling PEO that, in a short time, grew into the largest employee leasing company in the country. Ten years later, the company became publicly traded, and was sold to a New York based investment group. Mr. Mullis remained on the Board of Directors until 1997.

In 2001, Mr. Mullis purchased a small leasing company from Brian Varnadore, a local entrepreneur. Partnering with Brian and a group of business associates who were once key executives with Staff Leasing, ELS opened for business in 2001. Bill Mullis, a pioneer in the employee leasing industry, had finally returned to the profession that he had come to love so much.

Over time, Mr. Mullis and his new associates at ELS noticed a growing trend emerging. PEOs were moving away from the traditional model that was first established to focus more on human resource services in a white collar market. This trend created a void in the market place for construction and related industries to be able to capitalize on the strengths that a leasing company can bring. Mr. Mullis and the other ELS executives recognized this trend and put together a business model that would allow the company to continue signing high-risk, blue collar clients, creating a win-win relationship for both the company and its client base.

This story is worth retelling for a couple of reasons. Primarily, it demonstrates how ELS was built upon a true entrepreneurial spirit by people that were willing to risk it all because they believed things had to be done a different way. Armed with lessons learned in the past, ELS executives are firmly committed to a business model that is focused entirely upon helping the construction owner manage his or her risks. Because of this unwavering commitment, ELS has been privileged to build strong, lasting relationships with its clients, quickly becoming one of the fastest growing employee leasing companies in the state of Florida.

ELS takes enormous pride in differentiating itself from other employee leasing companies through safeguarding your ability to obtain affordable workers' compensation coverage. We accomplish this goal by diligently managing each claim, controlling costs while assuring that your injured worker receives the best medical services available. Our Risk Management department is staffed by licensed adjusters, registered nurses and safety specialists that are all focused on meeting your needs.

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