KOP Insiders: Kevin Robins, CEO of MidAtlantic Employers’ Association

KOP Insiders delves into the stories of the people who make King of Prussia one of Pennsylvania’s most dynamic live-work-play-stay destinations.

In depth interviews provide insight into the companies that make up our diverse business community and put a face to the individuals behind the business. In this edition, we are joined by Kevin Robins, CEO of MidAtlantic Employers’ Association.

Tell us about your background and how it led to your current role as CEO of MEA?

MidAtlantic Employers’ Association has been around since the 1900s – it’s a 121-year-old organization. MEA is a nonprofit association that was founded by employers who wanted to work together to solve some of their HR-related needs. We’re 1 of about 25 around the country that work together with over 25,000 businesses. Most of our members are small to mid-size businesses and non-profits, ranging from 20–1,000 employees. A lot of our business is in the Southeastern Pennsylvania area, but we also work in Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and New York City.

MEA has become a resource for businesses that can’t do everything themselves. We have a team of 27 seasoned experts here to help with HR challenges such as employee issues, rules, regulations, employee training and leadership development. We are also a Certified Partner of the Predictive Index. Many members see us as a one-stop shop for HR, but we support Members it in a flexible, cost-effective way. MEA covers all industries and has over 600 members, some of whom have been with us for 50–60 years.

I joined the MEA team in 2011. I’m a lawyer and graduated from Villanova Law. I started at Morgan Lewis and then joined SEI Investments (now SEI), a large public company headquartered in the region where I spent 15 years. After owning a small retail business with my wife, I joined MEA as I was intrigued by the opportunity to grow HR related outsourcing services for small to mid-sized employers. We think we are unique as we provide tailored HR driven solutions, but at the same time, we focus on developing our personal relationships with members to better understand the issues they are facing. This way we make sure we’re delivering value.

What makes the KOP area a good fit for MEA, your employees and your company culture?

King of Prussia is a great hub for business in general. Yes, you have the mall, but now you also have the Town Center and so many various businesses around. It’s not only beneficial to us but to our members as well.

We find our location incredibly valuable because we can easily interact with our members, and they can come to us. We hold a lot of events and just recently had a conference with 250 people at the Sheraton Valley Forge, which is very accessible because it’s just down the road. We also train thousands of people year-round in our facility and being in KOP makes it easy and convenient for people to get to us because of the transportation. Our culture is about building and maintaining relationships so the ability for our members to connect with us is critically important.

For our employees, it’s important to us that they can get to the office easily. All our employees are local and while we are all in different areas, the typical commute is all within 20–30 minutes.

How did the pandemic impact your office and how has it changed the way you do business?

Of course, the pandemic was a major disruption for everyone. We always believed in having flexibility for our employees. Even before the pandemic, we worked three days in the office and two days from home. This ended up being very helpful because when the shutdown occurred, we were prepared to go completely virtual. However, it’s been nice to be able to get back in the office. Even though we find a lot of our work can be done virtually, our culture stems from collaboration and teamwork, so it’s important to be in the office on a periodic basis.

What are some of your favorite things about KOP?

I like that I can walk across the street and have several options to choose from for a meal. I really enjoy having so many diverse restaurants close by. I live about 20 minutes away, so to be able to jump right on the turnpike and get home is super easy and convenient. I’m very excited that Topgolf is coming, as are my wife and kids. KOP is such a flourishing social and business community; it’s nice to see so much growth.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about moving their business to KOP?

It’s a thriving community and if you’re going to interact with other businesses, then you can’t go wrong setting up in KOP. There are so many different businesses in a small radius. It is very easy to make connections. The flexibility for employees and the ability for people to commute whether you’re coming from Manayunk, Conshohocken or elsewhere makes it an opportune location. I think that flexibility and ease are tremendously important for business. King of Prussia is a good place to work, but it’s also a good place to be after work. That’s important if you want your culture to be strong.

The floor is yours. Tell us anything else you’d like to share about MEA.

We really do get excited seeing our members succeed; our satisfaction comes from being able to help. Our region, particularly in King of Prussia, has so many diverse businesses and people. I think being able to partner with them, help them grow and develop relationships is really the hallmark of what we do. We take that to heart. It’s exciting to see people being together and happy. Being able to share that time with us is extremely fulfilling.

About MidAtlantic Employers’ Association

Members have trusted MidAtlantic Employers’ Association (MEA) to deliver essential Human Resource services that attract, retain and motivate their workforce since 1903. Members receive a single source for HR services that deliver responsive, practical solutions to their HR needs.

234 Mall Blvd., Suite G-50, King of Prussia, PA 19406
meainfo.org