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SAS 70 Certification

Bingham Farms, Michigan, March 15, 2011 – Group Associates, Inc., an organization that has helped companies manage their employee benefits programs, has announced the successful completion of its SAS (Statement on Auditing Standard 70) Type II examination.

The independent SAS 70 examination was conducted by Plante & Moran, PLLC, a public accounting and consulting firm, who evaluated and tested the company's internal operational controls and processes.

SAS 70 Type II is a generally accepted auditing standard utilized by service organizations to demonstrate their internal controls and security practices to their clients. By completing the SAS 70 examination, Group Associates can now offer third-party verification of its significant control practices and operational procedures.

Conducting a comprehensive SAS 70 examination requires substantial financial and time investments, but Group Associates considered the review a mandatory aspect of its continuing commitment to process improvement. "Our clients' confidence in our security methods and internal controls is paramount to our success as an organization," said David Zick, President of Group Associates, Inc. "Group Associates is committed to implementing processes and procedures which will ensure the highest level of quality and security in the services we provide. The completion of the SAS 70 examination is indicative of this commitment." The SAS 70 examination signifies that Group Associates, Inc. makes its business processes and the security of its clients' data top priorities.

Group Associates selected Plante & Moran to conduct the SAS 70 examination due to the firm's experience and credibility. "With Plante & Moran's 84 years of experience and rigorous standards of excellence, our clients can be confident that the findings of the SAS 70 examination accurately reflect Group Associates' reliable, highly secure internal controls, for which they can hold us accountable."

To request a copy of the full examination conducted by Plante & Moran, contact Paul W. Horalek at 248-593-2828, or via e-mail at paul.horalek@groupassociates.com.

About Plante & Moran:
Plante & Moran is the nation's 12th largest certified public accounting and business advisory firms, providing clients with financial, human capital, operations, strategy, technology, and family wealth management services. Plante & Moran, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, has been recognized by a number of organizations, including FORTUNE magazine, as one of the country's best places to work. For more information please visit www.plantemoran.com.

About Group Associates, Inc.:
Since 1986, Group Associates, Inc. has helped companies manage their employee benefits programs by assisting them as it relates to employee benefits' plan design, implementation and administration. Group Associates' brokerage/consulting services help companies design benefits programs around specific objectives, and place coverage with carriers and vendors who can best meet their unique needs.

Click here for the 2011 SAS 70 Type II Control Objective Memo.