About Us
Our Firm
Founded in 1992 by K. Brian McLaughlin, Granite Group is a full-service employee benefits and risk management consulting firm. Our mission is to exceed our clients’ and their employees’ expectations as they relate to our commitment to outstanding service, innovation, ethics, and expertise. We are a customer focused company that brings personal and exceptional service to our valued clients on a consistent basis through our dedicated approach.
Our People
Built around the premise of teamwork, Granite Group employees’ broad and varied skillsets can better serve our clients unique needs. Our experienced staff will deliver tailored benefits solutions based on a structured consulting process. Our team will assess your benefits needs, survey the marketplace, set goals, provide thorough risk assessment and competitive pricing, and introduce the tools and technology to deliver the best benefit options for you and your employees. In 2023, our Manchester, NH office welcomed former Landmark Benefits employees from the Windham, NH location.
Our Presence
Developed over 30 years, GGB remains focused on our client community, and supports their business and social needs across New England. Our employees live and serve in the neighborhoods they grew up in, providing our clients with a valuable resource that understands the local needs of the community. As an Alera Group firm, our clients also benefit from the expertise and resources of a large national firm, while still maintaining the advantages of local service and relationships.
Associations
Meet Our Team
Kathy Ellis
Director of Health & Wellness(603) 296-0700 ext. 5265
Kathy joined Granite Group Benefits as the Director of Health & Wellness in November 2014. Prior to being a part of Alera, she managed comprehensive employee wellness programs for large corporations, worked in clinical health promotion and instructed undergraduate classes in health and human performance. Kathy’s passion for wellbeing goes beyond promoting healthy habits. She looks to help people find a way to feel their best every day so they can pursue the things they love. She thrives on sharing those concepts with employers to help create workplace communities that help employees thrive.
Kathy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science & Sports Studies from the University of Tampa and her Master’s degree in Human Performance from Bridgewater State University. She is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and is also certified through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), American Council of Exercise (ACE), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). An outdoor enthusiast, Kathy is also a volunteer hike leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) New Hampshire Chapter.
LinkedInKelly Mitchell
Senior Benefits Consultant(603) 296-0700 ext. 5261
In 2003, Kelly joined Granite Group Benefits as a Senior Client Manager. She came to Granite Group Benefits from CIGNA Healthcare where she began her career as a Team Leader in the Member Services Department. Having gained significant experience in Group Health Insurance, Kelly then took a position within CIGNA's Sales Department as a Client Strategy Specialist. Kelly has worked in Sales and Customer Service since 1998. She enjoys educating her clients as well as advocating for them, in order to ensure they get the most out of their benefit program. Kelly received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
LinkedInKim Socha
Senior Benefits Consultant(603) 296-0700 ext. 5269
Kim joined Granite Group Benefits as a Senior Benefits Consultant in 2014. With more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, she focuses on benefits, retention, and employee satisfaction. Kim prides herself in helping her clients navigate the continuously evolving and complex healthcare industry.
In her current role as a Benefits Consultant, she works directly with local and multi-site, large employers. Her current accounts include both self-funded and fully insured programs. She helps her clients evaluate, implement and manage their employee benefit programs. Before joining GGB, Kim worked in product development and sales at Cigna.
Kim is a graduate of Tufts University and lives in Deerfield, NH with her husband and three children. She is certified in the Affordable Care Act by the National Association of Health Underwriters.
LinkedInJeanette Chasse
Senior Benefits Consultant(603) 296-0700 ext. 5264
Jeanette joined Granite Group Benefits as a Client Manager on June 1, 2013. She came to GGB with a 17 year background in the insurance industry primarily focused on Employee Benefits and individual life, health and disability insurance.
In her current role, Jeanette is responsible for assisting clients with coverage, claim, billing and enrollment questions and keeping them informed about compliance issues and deadlines. In addition, she works with existing clients on their annual renewal review process and is responsible for quoting and writing group and individual new business.
Prior to working at GGB, Jeanette worked at Eaton & Berube Insurance Agency, Inc., an independent local full-service agency for 17 years in the Financial Services Division. She resides in Mont Vernon, NH with her husband of 25 years.
LinkedInOur Community
We believe in being contributing members of the communities we serve. GGB employees, through business-sponsored and personal endeavors, volunteer their time mentoring, fundraising, and supporting multiple organizations in our local community to include:
Veterans Count, American Red Cross of Greater Manchester, Boys & Girls Club of Manchester, CareGivers, Cystic Fibrosis – Northern NE Chapter, Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains, Granite United Way, Greater Lakes Region Making Strides, Henniker Food Pantry, Manchester Area Human Resources Association, Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County, New England Parkinson's Ride, and UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center.
Our culture rewards teamwork. Whether we are working for you, or helping in our communities, we do it together.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Setting Your Strategy for the New Year: Alera Group's 2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook
Our experts will highlight key results from Alera Group’s "2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook" and explain how these trends can impact your benefits program this year.
January 16, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
Sign UpWealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
January 22, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual
Sign UpWealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
April 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual
Sign UpTHOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
Don’t Forget About Your Gag Clause Attestations
When the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) was enacted on December 27, 2020, it included a provision that prohibits group health plans and health insurance carriers from entering into certain agreements that, either directly or indirectly, restrict the release of certain information related to provider networks and de-identified encounter data, among other things. Such restrictions are commonly referred to as “gag clauses.” The CAA also requires plans and carriers to attest annually that their agreements do not include such impermissible gag clauses.
November 20, 2024
Find out moreEmployee Benefits
Avoiding an Employee Lawsuit Over a Tobacco Surcharge Claim
Tobacco surcharges on health insurance premiums for employees who use tobacco products are attractive options for employers looking to keep their workforce healthy while lowering their organization’s healthcare costs. But surcharges can go too far, and many employers may be unaware of the limitations. Alera Group's new whitepaper on tobacco surcharges is designed to assist employers in complying with federal regulations.
November 19, 2024
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Q4 Considerations: New HIPAA Privacy Considerations
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Final Rule titled HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy.
November 15, 2024
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Spotlight on 2025 Benefit Limits
The IRS has released the 2025 benefit plan limits. The following chart shows some of the key limits for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 tax years.
November 15, 2024
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