Teaming with CDPHP® Is Personal for the Bernardo Brothers

Brothers Nick and Garrett Bernardo have come a long way from selling t-shirts and tank tops out of their dorm room. Today, they are co-founders and co-owners of NOVUS, a sportswear brand based in Albany, New York, that outfits athletes across the country.

Nick and Garrett are fueled by their purpose-driven mission, which celebrates passion, conviction, and perseverance. Through their full-service custom apparel and retail brand, they seek to empower athletes in various sports, from youth to college to professional level.

As NOVUS has grown to a team of about 30 people — with plans to expand — Nick and Garrett believe offering a CDPHP health plan has been instrumental in attracting and retaining motivated employees.

“We’ve been offering CDPHP® for the last three years. That was a big step for us to build our company, to be able to provide that benefit,” Nick explains. “And it’s been huge for us and our growth to provide a full, comprehensive package for our team members.”

When It’s Personal

Many factors played a role in their decision to choose CDPHP, but one of the most important was personalized service. “We were looking for a personal relationship with our provider, and CDPHP really showed that from the beginning,” Nick says.

When they were first searching for a health plan to offer their employees, they initially hesitated to explore a large organization. “A couple of years ago, we were thinking, ‘Wow, CDPHP — they’re everywhere. They’re too big for us to really have a personal relationship.’ But it’s been the opposite. They’ve really been open arms,” Nick says.

“We found it very easy to work with CDPHP, and I think the accessibility to their staff has been first class,” Garrett says. “They’ve been proactive in getting over to our office to meet with our employees, sit down with them, have the one-on-ones to just provide comfort and understanding with what our employees are getting.”

More Than Medical Coverage

That exceptional personalized service CDPHP delivers to NOVUS’ leadership translates directly into positive experiences for employees, too.

“Our employees and team member base have had nothing but good things to say about CDPHP,” Nick says, explaining that the onboarding process was smooth and easy for his employees, and they appreciate the user-friendly member portal.

“CDPHP offers mental health, wellness, and fitness resources that our employees can dive into. So it’s not just providing medical support after the fact but also setting you up to enjoy your life outside of work.” This year, NOVUS was also able to implement the health savings account (HSA) offering, which Nick explains has been a huge employee benefit.

Feels Like Family

In addition to a focus on personalized service and robust benefits, Nick and Garrett believe that NOVUS and CDPHP have a similar outlook on serving the Capital Region community. “We do a lot of local charity work, and CDPHP has been involved with some of the same charities. We felt we had shared values and were mission-aligned from the start,” Nick says.

Nick says hefeels great peace of mind knowing that his team is covered by CDPHP: “They’ve proven in the last couple of years that they can be there for me, as I’m personally growing a family,” he explains. “I feel tremendous comfort knowing that I have a health care provider that can be there for me and my family.”

Garrett shares Nick’s satisfaction with CDPHP. “We have full confidence recommending CDPHP to anybody that we work with,” Garrett explains. “The people are so awesome to work with. They make it fun, and they have great services and benefits for your employees, and they’re there when you need it. They care about you.”

As Nick and Garrett continue to grow their business with global aspirations, they want to keep that same sense of sincere care at the heart of their family-centered operation. “We always want to have that small, family feel,” Garrett continues. “The greatest compliment that we could receive is when people say it feels like family working with us. And that’s the relationship that we have with CDPHP.”

Want to learn more about CDPHP member and employer experiences? Explore their stories and learn how working with CDPHP has made a difference.

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