Dec. 01--Chicago-based Bensinger, DuPont Associates, a 34-year-old provider of workplace drug testing and employee counseling services, has been acquired by Canada's Morneau Shepell as the Toronto-based company grows its U.S. presence, the companies announced Tuesday.
Peter Bensinger, who ran the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for five years before forming his company, said the offer from Morneau Shepell came "out of the blue." He said the deal will give Bensinger, DuPont Associates more resources and research to expand its services.
"I think without question we will have a better opportunity to help people solve problems," said Bensinger, who plans to stay on with the company for two years as a consultant. "They have values we care about. They care about people, they care about treating people with respect. They're not coming in here to try to figure out who to replace."
All 75 employees at Bensinger, DuPont Associates will keep their jobs, Bensinger said. Morneau Shepell, a major provider of employee assistance programs, human resources consulting, and health and benefits administration, has 4,000 employees and serves about 20,000 clients. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"This acquisition affirms our commitment to expand our operations and service offerings globally, with a particular emphasis on the U.S. market," Stephen Liptrap, executive vice president at Morneau Shepell, said in a statement. "Workplace issues are increasingly complex and organizations are looking to experts for assistance. As a result of this deal, we are pleased to welcome a talented team of specialists who will help drive our continued growth and meet the unique and ever-evolving needs of our clients."
Morneau Shepell, which already has offices in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Salt Lake City, will add offices in Chicago and San Diego. The public company, which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange, acquired U.S.-based SBC Systems in 2012 to enhance its benefits administration platform and earlier this year acquired the U.S. health and welfare benefits administration business of Ceridian.
Bensinger said there is growing interest from companies for employee assistance programs, known as EAPs, that give workers confidential help with personal or family problems that could be affecting their work productivity, including mental health, substance abuse, addictions, marital problems, parenting problems, emotional problems, or financial or legal concerns.
"In today's world everybody has stress," Bensinger said. "Companies see it as a good investment."
Bensinger, who served as administrator of the DEA from 1976 through 1981, co-founded the company in 1982 with Robert DuPont, founding director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse. The firm's initial task was drug-free workplace consultation and policy development, with Commonwealth Edison as its first client, Bensinger said. It began offering EAPs in 1986, and since has added help lines and gambling addiction counseling.
The company's clients, which number about 2,000 companies, municipalities, hospitals and other organizations, will continue to receive the same services, Bensinger said, and the acquisition will allow it to offer more programming, such as in health and wellness, as well as expand its network of clinicians.
"I feel good about it," Bensinger said. "I feel good about it because I like my partner, we're going to help our employees, and a lot of people and families that I'm never going to meet."
aelejalderuiz@tribpub.com
