Our History

Founded on the Traditions of Hard Work and Perseverance
Nineteen-eighty-four was a time of extraordinary growth for the City of Pittsburgh. Mayor Richard Caliguiri was at the helm of a breathtaking Renaissance, a young man named Mario Lemieux was drafted by the floundering Pittsburgh Penguins, and coaches Chuck Tanner and Chuck Noll were rebuilding their legendary sports dynasties. It was during this "Steel Town" transformation that Bob Pharis and Bob Graham co-founded Allen Bates Associates, Inc.

Previously employed at a software consulting firm, the two entrepreneurs found a unique niche servicing the computer needs of union benefits administrators. But what began as a computer maintenance team for a select clientele in the Pittsburgh vicinity, grew into a complete line of customized software solutions, featuring FACTS (Fund Administrators’ Comprehensive Tracking System).

Basing their technology on Taft-Hartley legislation and the growing enthusiasm for personal computers, Allen Bates Associates designed FACTS to suit most any multi-employer benefits office. Yet, this specialized data processing system could easily and quickly be customized to meet each client’s more exacting specifications.

Today, over [40] union benefits offices spanning the East Coast rely on FACTS and the full spectrum of computer hardware/software support from Allen Bates Associates. Garnering a reputation for service and excellence, Allen Bates has been consistently invited to participate at the Automation Institute, and educational conference hosted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Perhaps this tremendous growth and success can be attributed to the Pittsburgh ethics of hard work and perseverance, which has become an Allen Bates Associates tradition for over two decades of service.