As demographics shift and technology improves, the payroll industry is changing — and we want to be there to help you navigate the waters. This is why, in November 2016, we decided to add acquisitions to our platform. The most important thing we’re looking for when acquiring a payroll business is a cultural fit: an organization that values the same full-service, full-value business model at the core of our philosophy.

When we add a business to our family, it’s up to you, the seller, how involved you want to stay. We believe in being flexible. We know you’ve worked hard for many years to build relationships with your clients, and our goal is to continue and expand upon those strong relationships. Everybody has to win in an acquisition, and when we say everybody, we mean the seller, the buyer, the company we’re purchasing, their employees and, above all, their clients.

Co-founder and president of ConnectPay, as well as head of mergers and acquisitions, Paul Altavena likes to think of the staff  as a team of “freedom fighters”. He believes small businesses are the key to economic freedom, and ConnectPay supports them in this mission by providing the tools to help them thrive. Paul is passionate about the great value ConnectPay delivers to small businesses by helping them to become more efficient and successful.

Paul has been looking for ways to build value since he was a kid — from the lawn-cutting business he founded at 12, to the 1960 MGA sports car he bought at 13 to restore and sell. His history in the payroll business goes back to the late ’70s when he joined the founding team at Paychex and was part of the company’s successful public offering in 1983. When he’s not building business relationships with payroll professionals, you can find him spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, or golfing. Even the way he spends his free time mirrors the ConnectPay business philosophy: It’s all about relationships.