ONEDIGITAL’S TED CRAWFORD: PLAYING THE LONG GAME

When Ted Crawford graduated from college with a business degree the PEO industry was not on his career map. Yet, today he’s a well-known leader in our industry, has served on NAPEO’s board of directors and leads a PEO operation that’s approaching 100,000 worksite employees. His nearly three-decade career in the PEO industry has been defined by a competitive spirit that’s fueled his commitment to growth.

THE EARLY YEARS

Crawford’s early professional ambitions were rooted in commercial real estate and sales. While still in college, he earned his insurance licenses and opened an agency with Farmers Insurance Group.

An awkward conversation with a prospect quickly clarified a career-defining realization. He understood early on that his path to success should focus on strategic conversations with business owners, not one-off consumer transactions.

“I decided I wanted to deal with business owners from 8 to 5 and make business decisions,” Crawford recalls. “Not try to educate consumers one policy at a time.”

Crawford joined CUNA Mutual Insurance Group, where he spent 14 years building a reputation as a high-performing sales leader. He was frequently asked to step into underperforming markets and turn them around. Over time, he led teams across financial planning and group insurance divisions, consistently moving regions from the bottom of performance rankings to the top.

The company offered stability, a pension plan and a long-term path. He was confident he would retire there. But in the late 1990s, an unexpected call from Administaff (later rebranded as Insperity) changed everything. A colleague from CUNA had since joined Administaff and recommended that Crawford be considered to lead one of the PEO’s Houston market sales teams.

At first, Crawford was skeptical. He had little exposure to the PEO model and no pressing reason to leave a secure position. But when he visited Administaff’s headquarters, he saw something that resonated deeply: vision and momentum. Expansion plans were clearly mapped. Offices were opening quarterly. Even the receptionist spoke with enthusiasm about the company and the path ahead.

“In most industries, you get in at the peak or the tail end,” he says. “This was an opportunity to get in at the beginning.”

In his early 30s, with decades of professional runway ahead, Crawford made the leap into the PEO world. He replicated the previous sales success he had had at CUNA and fully embraced the opportunity to learn as much as he could about the market and industry. Over the next several years, he pursued a few different opportunities within the industry that offered a lot of exposure to different models, service deliveries and challenges facing PEOs.

ENTREPRENEURIAL LEAP

Around 2003, Crawford decided to put his knowledge and skills to work for himself.

“I told my wife ‘the kids are in school, we don’t have any debt, now is the time to do this,” Crawford recalls.

So, he launched his own PEO, Resourcing Edge, from a spare bedroom in his home.

He sold during the day and installed benefits packages himself. With a small team wearing multiple hats, the company grew steadily and intentionally. The business expanded from a home office to a modest warehouse space and gradually built a sales force. When the company made its first acquisition in 2012, it marked a new chapter—but organic growth remained central. Approximately 68% of total growth over time came from internally generated sales.

A TRANSFORMATIONAL PARTNERSHIP

By 2020, Resourcing Edge was strong and growing with nearly 20,000 worksite employees, but Crawford was thinking about long-term vision and opportunities. M&A activity had picked up in the industry and investment capital firms had taken notice of PEOs. And while Resourcing Edge had completed several successful acquisitions of its own, Crawford began to think it was time to find a strategic partner to propel his company into its next phase. He had ruled out private equity investment because he didn’t have much patience or interest in the recurring recap cycle every few years. He was in search of a true partner who could bring additional resources and efficiency to the table, but who also believed in the PEO as a long-term investment.

Conversations with OneDigital, an Atlanta-based insurance and financial services firm, began just as COVID-19 reshaped the business environment. Initially, the pandemic’s economic impact was unknown, and many businesses prepared for the worst. As it turned out, the added uncertainty and complexity that many small businesses faced resulted in a boom for the PEO business.

In March 2022, the transaction closed between Resourcing Edge and OneDigital. At that time, Resourcing Edge brought approximately 20,000 worksite employees into the OneDigital ecosystem. Today, that number exceeds 90,000.

“It was a marriage that put together a great product [PEO] that fit with their suite of services and products,” Crawford explains.

The integration strategy focused on leveraging Crawford’s existing PEO operation and expertise to bring a new suite of workforce solutions to OneDigital’s existing client base. It has paid off. Forty percent of PEO sales in the first three years after the merger came from within OneDigital’s client base.

Rebranding under OneDigital has strengthened market visibility and national reach for Crawford. Overnight, he had access to many new markets thanks to now being under the OneDigital umbrella.

DISCIPLINED GROWTH STRATEGY

OneDigital’s PEO division targets approximately 30% organic growth annually. That requires intentional hiring, training and leadership development. No easy feat, but one that Crawford has excelled at by building a sales leadership force that delivers results.

Last year, the average producer generated $466,000 in new sales. An impressive figure that represents the strength of the operation Crawford has built.

“Most PEOs would be thrilled at $200,000 per rep,” Crawford says. “We set high expectations—and we support our team to reach them.”

Acquisitions also contribute to annual growth, often involving founders seeking succession planning solutions. Crawford emphasizes that the strategy is not short-term flipping, but sustained expansion.

“We’re building for the long game,” he says.

CULTURE AS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Crawford believes the company culture is a strategic asset. On the PEO side alone, there are 450 employees spread across many offices who all work together cohesively and aligned on one organization mission. Their commitment to delivering top-notch service and expertise to clients underpins the company’s success.

“We don’t have inventory or products,” Crawford points out. “Our people are the company.”

Leadership accessibility remains a defining trait at OneDigital, with founders actively engaged.

“The founders are still here. I can pick that phone up and text or call any one of them in a moment’s notice. They’re just great human beings that believe in our people and culture,” Crawford says.

The company’s annual summit draws approximately 1,800 employees, reinforcing connection and shared purpose. Recognition as a best place to work in multiple markets reflects ongoing investment in engagement and development.

FUTURE FORCES

With a commitment to long term growth and success it’s important to stay ahead of trends and market forces that will shape the future of the business. AI and automation are accelerating expectations for service speed. Delivering rapid response and advanced tools requires meaningful investment. Customers expect near instantaneous response and resolution to problems which places operational strain on service teams. Technology drives the conversation today and customers expect access to cutting edge platforms.

Technology will offer incredible solutions, but it’s also changing consumer behavior in ways PEOs must account for and adapt to.

“Consumers are becoming more virtually driven. So, the old days of meeting with you to build out a business plan are over. That’s just not how that next generation’s going to buy,” Crawford says.

“I do think the PEO industry is always going to be here, but it’s going to deliver services and appear differently than today,” he adds.

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

From spare bedroom startup to national platform nearing 100,000 worksite employees, Ted Crawford’s journey mirrors the evolution of the PEO industry.

Technology has transformed service. Workforce expectations have changed. Yet Crawford’s core philosophy endures: disciplined execution, steady investment and long-term vision. His commitment to growth and competitive spirit fuels his personal life, too. Recently, he began pursuing his pilot’s license—an 11-year-old goal finally set in motion.

“Flying gives you perspective,” he says. “You put your phone down, step away from the noise and see things clearly.”

As the industry continues to evolve, Crawford is not reacting to change.

He’s flying towards it.