Heartland Founder, Philanthropist, and Author Robert O. Carr launches Beyond - An Employee-Owned POS, Payments, Lending, Vending, Integrated HR Tools & Services Company

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May 01, 2017, 13:49 ET

PRINCETON, N.J., May 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert O. Carr – who built Heartland Payment Systems (HPY) from a $2 million startup in 1997 to a $4.3 billion enterprise – today launched Beyond, a company with corporate responsibility in its DNA and a deep commitment to helping businesses employ the best methods of handling business operations while providing peerless security and customer service.

Beyond's starting product and service lineup includes payment processing, point-of-sale systems, lending, payroll and integrated HR services, as well as tailored solutions for vertical industries such as restaurants and dealership management. Beyond also offers fundraising and event management systems for non-profit organizations.

The company underscores its commitment to transparent, customer-first service with the Beyond Promises: Ten principles setting out the company's commitment to fair treatment, plain language (instead of unintelligible fine print) and full disclosure, with no hidden fees and no unexpected surcharges.

"I've always believed that a company should walk in the shoes of its customers," Carr said. "We understand the daily challenges that face our customers. That's why we don't leave essential business tools and services to pure self-discovery. Beyond will offer our customers the reliable, flexible, and secure business solutions they need, and we will deliver those solutions in a way that is personal, clear, respectful, and responsible."

To recruit and retain a loyal, professional salesforce, Beyond has created a compensation model that offers portfolio ownership, a full slate of benefits, and uncapped earning potential. In addition, every Beyond employee hired in 2017 will have the opportunity to own part of the company. Under Carr's leadership, Heartland had a successful stock compensation program that contributed to the company's 87% approval rating among employees, who called Heartland "a great place to work".

With every product or service offering, Beyond's dedicated sales teams act as personal trainers for businesses, analyzing existing contracts, tools and services, providing new ones, and educating merchants so they are empowered.

"Beyond is entering a highly competitive marketplace," Carr said. "What sets us apart is our belief that our core principles of fairness, transparency, and skin in the game will attract top-quality employees and draw a loyal and engaged customer base. We know from experience that there is a huge demand for customer-focused service in the business solutions sector, and we intend to go far beyond the quality that is in the marketplace today."

Demonstrating Beyond's commitment to social responsibility, Carr is making the public non-profit Give Something Back (GiveBack) the beneficiary of his personal earnings and majority shareholder position. Created by Carr in 2003 as a family foundation, GiveBack provides college scholarships and mentoring to lower-income students, with an emphasis on making higher education accessible for youth leaving foster care, homeless students, and children of incarcerated parents. So far, Give Something Back has provided more than $35 million in scholarships to more than 1,500 scholars at partner colleges and universities across the country. Fifty-nine out of 60 students graduating high school this year in GiveBack's Illinois program have been accepted into four-year universities, and the remaining one will be attending community college in the fall.

"Our commitments to our customers and to GiveBack are two sides of the same coin," Carr said. "At Beyond, we believe that we succeed when our customers succeed and when our communities succeed. By investing in the minds and futures of smart, capable young people, we are building a well-prepared workforce and contributing to a thriving economy – which creates greater opportunities for our customers and for our company."

Beyond provides the POS, payments, lending, vending, and integrated HR tools and services that small to mid-sized companies need to make their business operations simple, streamlined, and secure. Beyond was founded in 2017 by Robert O. Carr, a prominent businessman and philanthropist whose track record of success reflects his deep belief that "doing the right thing" for customers and employees ultimately produces the best bottom-line results. Carr is the author of two books: Through the Fires: An American Story of Turbulence, Business Triumph and Giving Back and Working Class to College: The Promise and Peril Facing Blue-Collar America.

SOURCE Beyond