The Washington Association of Landscape Professionals (WALP) has partnered with Anything Insurance and the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) to open the BIAW Health Trust to WALP member companies. The Health Trust is a group health plan available exclusively to member businesses. According to the announcement, many members save 10 to 15% over what they currently pay for health benefits.
The plan includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, plus an employee assistance program. Members can choose from more than 50 plans and build coverage around what their crews need. A dedicated service team is available to answer questions from both the company and its employees.
A key feature of the program is its two-employee minimum, which makes it especially valuable for smaller landscape companies. On their own, small employers are typically priced as small groups with limited buying power. Through WALP, member companies gain access to a large group health plan and the greater buying power that comes with it.
Dave Haizlip, WALP State President, announced the partnership at the Northwest Nurseries Summer BBQ on August 12. "We’ve worked on bringing this benefit to WALP members for quite some time because access to quality, affordable health insurance can make a real difference for landscape companies and their employees," Haizlip said. "Whether it’s a small company offering benefits for the first time or a larger company looking to reduce costs, this gives our members access to greater buying power. When we announced the partnership at the Northwest Nurseries Summer BBQ and immediately had a small company member ask who they could contact to learn more, it reinforced exactly why we pursued this."
For landscape companies, health insurance can be a significant expense and an important tool for attracting and retaining employees. The Health Trust gives WALP members access to group health coverage and competitive pricing that may otherwise be difficult to obtain on their own.
Access to the program is available exclusively to active WALP member companies. Landscape companies interested in the program can learn more about WALP membership at walp.org.
This partnership matters because it addresses a persistent challenge for small businesses in the landscape industry: the high cost and limited options for employee health benefits. By pooling members into a larger group plan, WALP is giving small companies the same buying power that larger firms enjoy, which could help them compete for workers in a tight labor market. The immediate interest from a small company member at the announcement suggests strong demand for such a solution. As health insurance costs continue to rise, innovative partnerships like this one may become increasingly important for small businesses across Washington state.
For HR vendors, this development signals a growing trend of industry associations stepping in to provide benefits solutions that were once the domain of traditional brokers or professional employer organizations. It underscores the demand for affordable health insurance among small employers and the potential for similar group purchasing arrangements in other industries. Vendors offering benefits administration, enrollment technology, or insurance products may find new opportunities to partner with associations or to tailor offerings for small businesses that gain access to these trusts.
