The Brook Hill Story: Building a Business That Lasts
A Stream Runs Through It
Why Legacy, Not Scale, is Brook Hill’s Compass
By Stefan Polfliet, Founder & CEO, Brook Hill Holdings
The Early Days
More Than a Name
When people first hear “Brook Hill,” they usually ask me where the name comes from. It’s not unusual for founders to tell a story about a favorite place, a childhood home, or a memorable trip that shaped their perspective. But for us, the story starts—and stays—at home. Brook Hill is named for my sons and our family name, a deliberate choice to anchor everything we do in the values I want to pass on: integrity, stewardship, and the idea that business can (and should) outlast any single generation.
This isn’t window dressing or an exercise in branding. Our family’s story is woven into the fabric of the company—every client we serve, every person we hire, and every decision we make. In a world obsessed with scale, with unicorn status and blitzscaling, we’ve chosen a different path. Brook Hill is about legacy, not headlines. About deep roots, not just high branches.
A Company of Companies
Why We Built Brook Hill Holdings
In the early days, I could have just started a consulting firm with my name on the door and called it a day. But I’ve always believed that great companies are more than the sum of their projects or even their people—they are ecosystems that create value long after the founders step aside. That’s why Brook Hill Holdings is a “family of companies.” It’s an architecture built for resilience, not just growth.
We have two main arms:
Brook Hill Services (BHS) — our co-employer and payroll/benefits services company, designed for clients who want compliance, care, and a personal touch—not just another PEO-in-a-box.
Brook Hill Consulting (BHC) — our advisory and implementation group, with a legacy in SAP and enterprise consulting, serving industries where complexity is the rule, not the exception.
The holding company approach isn’t just about legal structure; it’s a way to future-proof our mission. Each company has its own rhythm and expertise, but they’re united by common values, governance, and a long-term perspective. That’s the “Hill.” The “Brook” is about staying close to our roots—always moving, always adapting, but never losing sight of where we came from.
You can grow fast or you can grow right. At Brook Hill, we choose the kind of growth that lets us look every client in the eye and say: we’ve got you.
Stefan Polfliet
Beyond Transactional
The Business We’re Really In
If you ask our clients why they work with us, you’ll rarely hear them talk about price, product features, or even technology first. They’ll talk about how we work—our willingness to educate, to listen, to roll up our sleeves and go the extra mile. They’ll mention late-night phone calls when things get hairy, or our team’s relentless focus on making sure nobody’s left behind in a migration, rollout, or payroll cycle.
We don’t chase every contract, or try to be everything to everyone. We say “no” more often than we say “yes.” That’s not arrogance—it’s about honoring our capacity, our standards, and our story. Our promise: If you work with Brook Hill, you’re part of something bigger than just a service agreement.
That’s why we invest in compliance training, legal education, and plain-English guides that demystify even the thorniest regulatory problems. It’s why we take time to understand a client’s industry, state-by-state challenges, and long-term goals. We’re not just vendors. We’re stewards.
Legacy isn’t about what you leave behind. It’s about what you build, what you raise—every day—with intention, integrity, and a promise to those who come next.
Stefan Polfliet
Lessons from Scale
Why We’ve Chosen a Different Path
I’ve seen firsthand what it’s like as organizations scale to a certain size—especially in consulting and HR services. Growth brings tremendous opportunity, but it also introduces unique complexities. Layers multiply. The distance between founders, partners, executives, and clients inevitably grows. Even when a company is stacked with nothing but talented “A-players,” it becomes nearly impossible to match every client’s unique needs with the right expertise at the right time. When every client is an “A-client,” there are only so many hours in the day—so you’re constantly juggling priorities, sometimes at the expense of genuine connection or follow-through. It puts enormous stress on even the best teams, as everyone works tirelessly to meet rising expectations and deliver the level of service that clients deserve.
This is why we’ve chosen a different path at Brook Hill. By staying intentionally focused and not chasing hypergrowth, we preserve the ability to serve our clients with care, attention, and the kind of partnership that drew us to this business in the first place. Our commitment to saying “no” when necessary is really a commitment to delivering on our promises—for every client, every time.
What Legacy Means: Practically
It’s easy to talk about legacy in the abstract. Here’s what it means for us in practice:
Hiring for the long run: We look for people who care about leaving things better than they found them. That means deep expertise, humility, and a willingness to own problems—not just pass them up or down the org chart.
Teaching, not just telling: Whether it’s a client onboarding session, an SAP migration, or a complex payroll transition, we prioritize knowledge transfer. Our goal: Make ourselves less necessary over time, not more.
Putting our name on the line: With “Brook Hill” literally representing my family, every action reflects on us—not just me, but my sons, my team, and everyone who carries the brand. That weight is real. It keeps us honest.
Serving the ‘whole client’: We take time to understand where our clients are coming from, not just where they say they want to go. Sometimes, that means hard conversations. Sometimes, it means recommending a competitor. Our first duty is to the client’s long-term health, not a quarterly target.
Staying close to the details: Whether it’s double-checking compliance in Utah or walking through a complex SAP process flow, we care about the “small” stuff. That’s what builds credibility—and legacy—over time.
In our family, I remind my sons of four words: KIPP—Kind, Intelligent, Positive, and Polite. These aren’t just parenting mantras; they’re my guideposts as a leader. Every decision at Brook Hill runs through that filter: Are we treating people with respect? Are we thinking clearly and deeply? Are we lifting each other up? Are we showing grace in every interaction?
That’s how we build a company that stands the test of time.
Stefan Polfliet
The Road Ahead
Growth, But Not at Any Cost
There’s no shortage of opportunity. The world is awash in complexity, in need of trusted guides, and hungry for alternatives to the usual suspects. But we will not sacrifice what makes us different to chase a revenue milestone or a headline. We will grow, but we will do it the Brook Hill way: thoughtfully, deliberately, and with an eye on the generations to come.
I invite you—clients, future team members, partners—to join us on this journey. Help us prove that there’s still a place in business for legacy, for stewardship, and for the simple act of caring more.
Brook Hill Holdings is more than a collection of companies. It’s a promise. To my sons, to my team, to every client who trusts us with their business.
Let’s build something that lasts.
We’re here to listen, understand, and help you build your own legacy.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Whether you want to learn more about our story, explore partnership opportunities, or discover how we can help your business thrive for the long term, we’d love to hear from you. Our door is always open—let’s start the conversation.
