Larry Bartholomew & B.J. Wright: an A-Plus for integrity.

• Author: Shelley, Barb
• Position: People - Professional employer organization A-Plus Benefits

NOT TOO LONG AFTER co-founding A-Plus Benefits, Larry Bartholomew gave his business partner a framed poster bearing the maxim: "The only thing more overrated than mom's apple pie is owning your own business." To this day, B.J. Wright proudly displays the witticism on her office wall. Its mere mention stirs up memories and even a chuckle from these partners, who have since succeeded beyond their wildest expectations.

Now with almost 50 employees, A-Plus Benefits, the Lindon-based Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Wright and Bartholomew founded nearly 14 years ago, is a testament to the mutual respect and admiration they hold for each other. "We were only going to run the business for five years," Wright recounts. "We just needed a way to support our families when a company we worked for was failing. We knew we could run a business better. And here we are." Here they are indeed, having surpassed their former company by tens of millions of dollars in revenue and having won multiple awards from the MountainWest Venture Group for being one of Utah's 100 fasteat-growing companies and one of its top 25 revenue growth companies.

As a PEO, A-Plus Benefits takes on all the liability related to its range of services, such as payroll services, including direct deposit, tax filing and deduction management; employee health and dental insurance, 401(k) plans and other benefits; risk management services, including minimizing on the job injuries, maintaining OSHA compliance and facilitating a safe and. productive...