The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and Ambassadors held a ribbon cutting for a new business, Stealth Partner Group, which opened at 2155 N Main Street. Stealth Partner Group is based out of Scottsdale, Ariz. and opened this facility due to local roots coming back to the community and growth in the industry.
Jacki DeWeese, the Director of Claims, is originally from Bluffton and decided to move back to the community after living in Scottsdale for the past 14 years. Stealth Partner Group opened in 2009, employs 300 individuals across the United States in 12 different locations. Stealth Partner Group is a general agent for medical stop-loss coverage and works with all insurance companies.
Patty Berridge, Partner, explained that the decision to open an office in Bluffton helped with DeWeese moving back as they needed a claims operation on this side of the world. “We have other offices in this part of the United States, clients we serve, and the time zone will make a difference. We are excited to be a part of this community and we feel this is the right place to be.”
The new Bluffton location is in 5,000 square feet and was recently remodeled to house the potential growth of 34 employees. “We currently have 16 hired in Bluffton and are continuously hiring,” stated DeWeese. “We are looking for people with life experiences. Most of the individuals we hire do not have claims experience and that is fine because we will train.”
“When a group of people started Stealth Partner Group, they wanted to set us apart from the competition,” said Mike Hopkins, SVP Strategic Partnerships. “We have done things completely different than anyone else in the market. Our staff are the heart and soul of the organization. The services we bring to our large customer clients help them get claims paid and be advocates to make sure everything runs smoothly so they understand the process. Therefore, we have been very successful.”
“We treat each claim like it is our grandchild or our child,” explained Mark Clemente, Sr. Director of Claims. “We are not just looking at the numbers but putting faces to the claims. Our goal is for the clients to be reimbursed with no worry for the family. As companies shift towards self-funded policies, the need for our services continue to grow. We have the niche and expertise in what we do.”
As clients walk through the front door of the new location, there is a kitchen and café area. Stealth Partner Group’s culture is family, and the kitchen is where you gather. “We spend a lot of time at work, and we want our staff to enjoy being here and feel like family,” said DeWeese. “We have a wellness room, state of the art workstations with three monitors for efficiency, sit to stand desks, huddle rooms, with a homey and friendly open atmosphere. Our culture is very important to us at Stealth.”
DeWeese explained that although a big corporation has come to Bluffton and can seem different for a community, Stealth Partner Group is family-oriented and want to be involved in the community. “We are here to stay and offer a great home for people to work and have a great career. Volunteerism is very important and doing the right things in the community. We are looking forward to being a part of Wells County.”
