In April this year, PGC Group joined forces with Workwell to create a powerhouse in workforce management solutions. The merger between Workwell, a leading provider of tech-enabled workforce management solutions with PGC Group, the market leader in employer of record services in North America represents a step-change in the capability of both businesses, creating a market leader with worldwide reach.
Bringing PGC Group into the Workwell family will now allow the business to fulfil an ambition of being a truly global provider and will help the staffing and recruitment industry and organisations wanting to hire in multiple countries to expand internationally.
London Law Collective supported PGC Group CEO and Founder Adam Coleman through this process, and we recently caught up with Adam and PGC Group’s Managing Partner Sarah Collins to talk about the merger and what the future holds for Workwell.
Tell us a little about how PGC Group started and where you think the business is today?
I set up PGC Group 18 years ago, so you could say I have been in this business and sector for some time. My aim all along was to establish a best-in-class operation that would provide employer of record services primarily for recruitment firms expanding to North America.
We managed to do that, and in 2020 we decided to move the business to Austin, Texas while maintaining a hub in New York City. We made this move so we could take advantage of the position of Austin as a leading global hub for tech development. This enabled us to work within an innovative tech environment and gave us access to a high-calibre network of people so that we could grow our technical team and therefore our global operation.
We are, of course, now excited to be park of Workwell Group, who are the leading global provider of employment management services. We had a number of suitors throughout this process, and I had some tough decisions to make, but I genuinely believe that we were meant to join forces with Workwell. Together, we have a shared aspiration to create a team that is a truly global community and one that meets our objective of strategic alignment and approach to excellence for the world’s major recruitment and hiring markets.
What trends are you seeing in the market today regarding workforce management solutions? What external factors are influencing PGC Group?
Someone once said that the world is flat. I don’t believe that, but I DO believe that the way business is done these days is flatter and more flexible that it used to be, certainly since I set up PGC Group those 18 years ago.
Covid obviously impacted the world enormously and made us all think about how we work and live. But I believe that we were seeing changes to work practices even before the pandemic struck. Employers and employees want flexible working, but they also want flexible solutions, and our aim all along was to create a best-in-class business that enables businesses to provide the flexibility they needed.
Of course, it’s not only about where someone works, at home or in the office, but for us, it’s about providing a tech-enabled operational solution that lets businesses manage their workforce efficiently.
What was it like working with the team at LLC and would you recommend working with them?
From the moment I was introduced and met David Farquharson to the moment I signed the deal in the United Airlines lounge five minutes before take-off from Heathrow, I knew I was in safe and trustworthy hands. I was grateful that Dave was recommended to me as the best person in London to provide the quality legal support I needed to help me navigate my way through this complex deal. I am very pleased that we found each other.
Dave is the ultimate host. On arrival in London, I found myself sitting in his office talking things through and automatically I felt at ease. Dave took the time to explain things clearly for me, for which I am grateful, but at no stage did I ever feel that I was being pushed towards something that I wasn’t comfortable with. At all times I knew that it was my decision and that Dave and his team were there to support me along the way.
Nothing was too much for Dave and the rest of the team. I went to his home, we went for dinner together, emails and calls were responded to in a timely and efficient manner and other members of the team helped guide the process along seamlessly in a polite, professional and efficient way.
But perhaps more importantly, I knew that Dave and LLC were right for me because we ultimately share the same values. Like Dave and his colleagues, for me it’s not enough to just do the business. I want to work with people who understand the important role that values play in our lives and work, and I can clearly see the efforts that LLC is making to improve society in a range of ways, and that is very commendable.
What does the future look like for you at Workwell?
In many ways my dream has come true, so I could not be happier. Last week I joined my second Workwell board meeting, so I can honestly say that I am now in a place that I’ve wanted to be for some time. As a business we are now truly global, which means that we can provide an even better service to our clients. I have the backing of my family, my leadership team with a special mention to Sarah Collins, as well as friends who have supported me and our business along the way and we work with great partners like LLC, so I can’t wait for the next few years.
