CEO of Journey Payroll & HR Kevin Welch Named a 2026 ColoradoBiz Icon

ColoradoBiz magazine recognizes Kevin Welch, CEO and Founder of Journey Payroll & HR, among Colorado's most influential business leaders for 2026.

FORT COLLINS, CO, UNITED STATES, July 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Kevin Welch, CEO and Founder of Journey Payroll & HR, has been named a 2026 Icon by ColoradoBiz magazine. The annual Icons recognition honors Colorado business leaders who have demonstrated lasting impact, community investment, and a standard of leadership that extends well beyond their own organizations.

Welch founded Journey Payroll & HR in Fort Collins, Colorado in 2010 on a belief that has remained unchanged for 16 years: that payroll and human resources services should prioritize the people behind businesses rather than the transactions themselves. That philosophy shaped how he built the company, how he leads it, and how Journey continues to grow.

Under his leadership, Journey has grown from a single Colorado location into a multistate payroll and HR franchise network serving thousands of small and mid-sized employers across the country. The company's locally owned franchise model, supported by the Journey Central platform, reflects Welch's conviction that accountability and service quality are best preserved when ownership is local and relationships are direct.

That conviction shows up in the numbers. Journey Payroll & HR has maintained a client retention rate above 98% at its Colorado headquarters operation, competing directly against larger national firms. The company has been recognized by BizWest's Mercury 100 Fastest Growing Companies list since 2013, received ColoradoBiz's Companies to Watch recognition in 2022, and earned the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics in 2024.

Beyond building Journey, Welch has remained committed to the broader business community. Journey Payroll & HR provides free payroll and HR compliance education to employers across Colorado and maintains active partnerships with chambers of commerce, BizWest, and the Better Business Bureau. For Welch, business leadership has always included a responsibility to the community it operates in.

Kevin Welch reflects on what the Icons recognition represents.

"Business leadership carries a responsibility beyond the bottom line. This recognition reminds me of that and of every employer who has trusted Journey since we opened our doors in 2010," said Welch.

The 2026 ColoradoBiz Icons recognition reflects what Welch has built at Journey over 16 years: a company that competes on relationships, accountability, and the belief that humanizing the workplace is not a tagline but a daily standard worth holding.

About Journey Payroll & HR

Journey Payroll & HR is a payroll and human resources company serving small and mid-sized businesses across the country with payroll, HR, compliance, and workforce support solutions. Founded in 2010 by Kevin Welch and headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, Journey operates through a franchise model that combines local ownership with national-level tools and infrastructure. Journey has been recognized by BizWest's Mercury 100, ColoradoBiz's Companies to Watch, and the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics.

To learn more or request a consultation, visit www.JourneyPayrollHR.com.

Allie Ford
Journey Payroll & HR
+1 970-568-8613
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