Following its 2009 launch and five years of steady growth thereafter, Hawaii Human Resources (HiHR) and The Hawaii Group (HiGroup) continue to expand their reach, serving an ever-widening geographical area and offering a broad range of professional services to employers across the state. With the recent acquisition of HRBenefix's Hawaii Operations and Kiria Payroll Services on March 31, 2014, HiHR now will have a solid presence on the Big Island, serving all areas from Kona to Waimea to Hilo.

HiHR's purchase of HRBenefix's Hawaii Operations and Kiria Payroll Services' assets adds 51 new clients to HiHR's's already impressive roster. With 725 employees located on the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu, and an estimated $20 million annual payroll, these acquisitions represent a significant step towards HiHR establishing a strong presence on the Big Island.

Based in Kailua-Kona, longtime local businessmen Larry Marr and Jesus Menendez launched HRBenefix and Kiria Payroll Services in 2011. Both Marr and Menendez will continue working with HiHR, along with the internal staff members who will stay on under the new HiHR ownership and name. HiHR's Big Island team will remain focused on maintaining strong client relations while continuing to grow HiHR's Big Island client base.

As many of HRBenefix's clients currently operate with employees on the ground in California, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, and Wisconsin, Marr and Menendez will also work on enhancing and expanding PEO and payroll services on the mainland from their Colorado and Pennsylvania offices.

"This is an exciting development for me both professionally and personally," said Matthew S. Delaney, CEO and Chairman of HiGroup and HiHR. "I've known Larry since he worked for Hilton, and Jesus and I go way back to the 1990s, when we both worked at Sunterra Resorts. We all have similar hospitality backgrounds and a strong focus on transparency, immediate action, and top-quality client service. We all share nearly identical business philosophies and that will help make this a seamless transition, both for our internal staff and our clients."

"In addition to preserving continuity with quality services and security by keeping our new Big Island team in place, HiHR provides our new clients access to increased resources, expertise, cutting-edge technology, and other business support services. Now they can rely on us for seamless integration and instant access to staffing, recruiting, accounting, and marketing services through The Hawaii Group's family of service entities" stated Scott Meichtry, co-owner of The Hawaii Group.

"We are delighted to partner with the Hawaii Group to offer even more service options for our clients" said Jesus Menendez, COO at HRBenefix. "This is a big step forward for our Big Island Team, and furthers our commitment to providing outstanding service options to Hawaii's small businesses" added Menendez.

"In addition to the Big Island presence, both parties will continue to look for ways to partner together on mainland expansion opportunities" Delaney added.