Diverse Business Spotlight: Populus Group
The company
Michigan-based Populus Group provides employment solutions with a people-first approach to service and nationwide coverage. The company’s solutions include the following: Professional Payrolling, Independent Contractor Compliance & Engagement, Managed Services Provider, Immigration Employment, and Staffing & Recruiting solutions.
Populus group is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) with Hispanic leadership, as well as a Veteran-Owned Business (VOB).
The history
Populus Group’s relationship with Southern Company Gas spans 11 years, having first been introduced by way of a community connection and a business referral. As the relationship evolved, Populus Group’s work expanded into Human Resources and Procurement areas of the business, where the team works directly with department leadership.
For 20 years, Populus (Latin for “people”) has built its business strategy around living up to the name. With a strong focus on people, the company has helped its partners understand specific needs and identify solutions. Since partnering with Southern Company Gas, Populus has enjoyed tremendous growth, much to do with the access, exposure, and mentoring provided by Southern Company Gas staff. The partnership has grown from providing recruiting services to offering additional solutions, such as immigration, payroll and 1099 compliance, among other strategic partnerships.
The growth
Over the course of its partnership with Southern Company Gas, Populus Group has helped the company achieve $20 million in diverse spend which reflects its commitment to supporting the diverse business community and growing sustainable, long-term partnerships.
“Populus Group fundamentally believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed. It is embedded in our purpose–and we’re thankful for our strategic partnership with Southern Company Gas where we’re able to create opportunities for a wide range of underrepresented populations,” says Mario Lambert, vice president at Populus Group.
Southern Company Gas’ commitment to embracing and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) as a corporate value helped Populus build and expand its foundation.
“We’re highly committed to service and paying it forward–therefore our Diverse Business Mentor Program enables us to share what we’ve learned and create access for other diverse businesses,” Lambert says. “We also have an annual Customer Summit, attended by Southern Company Gas employees for multiple years, where we connect corporate leaders to explore best practices and ideas on how to better manage their workforce.”