Schooley Mitchell Spotlight for Partners PEO
Built for Blue-Collar: How Partners PEO Serves Colorado’s Trade Businesses
It’s easy to assume small businesses must navigate today’s increasingly complex employment landscape alone. At Partners PEO, the mission is simple: bring back-office peace of mind to the businesses that keep Colorado running. After all, hardworking small businesses are the backbone of America.
Founded in 2018 by a core group of industry veterans with decades of prior PEO experience, Partners PEO was created with a specific audience in mind: high-risk, blue-collar, and trade-based industries. Think construction companies, electricians, plumbers, and industrial firms: the businesses that quite literally keep the lights on and the water running.
“It’s a great model for small business owners,” says Chief Operating Officer Darrell Suer. “We felt there was an opportunity to do it better, to serve differently, and to focus on reputation, relationships, and specialized support.”
Darrell’s own path to Partners PEO mirrors the company’s balance between systems and service. With a background in information systems and engineering, he brings a strong technical foundation, although that is not what ultimately drew him in. For him, the people side of the business is what truly motivates him. “I’m good at technology,” he says with a laugh. “I love talking to people more than I love talking to computers.”
That people-first mindset shapes the company’s tailored approach. “Without plumbers, without electricians, our lives would kind of come to a screeching halt,” Darrell says. “We want to take good care of those businesses.” Workers’ compensation programs, employment practices liability insurance, HR risk mitigation, and full-cycle payroll administration are customized to meet the unique demands of these sectors. “We don’t just have one high-risk client. All of our clients are,” he adds. “That means we understand their world. We see patterns. We bring lessons learned from one business to another.”
While many national providers rely on call centers and rotating representatives, Partners PEO leans into a relationship-driven model. Clients are not dialing a generic 1-800 number. They are calling someone they likely spoke with yesterday. “You’re not a nameless, faceless client number,” Darrell says. “You’re talking to someone who knows your business.”
In the next two years, the company plans to expand its reach across Colorado while maintaining its personal touch. Long term, the vision is even more community centered. “We want to be a fixture in the community,” Darrell says.
At the heart of the story is a simple philosophy: partnership. “We’re a locally operated business, full of real people who care,” Darrell says. “We love having the opportunity to serve as many businesses as possible so they can achieve their version of success.” For Colorado’s backbone businesses, Partners PEO aims to be exactly what its name promises: not just a provider, but a partner.
