Industry: Manufacturing
Amount of employees: 1,300
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
BraunAbility is the global leader in life-changing mobility solutions, designing and manufacturing wheelchair-accessible vehicles and adaptive equipment for people with disabilities. Based in Northwest Indiana, the company has grown from a few hundred employees to approximately 1,300, a workforce as diverse in background, age, and life stage as the customers they serve.
That growth created both an opportunity and a challenge. As the organization scaled, leadership recognized that the well-being of their people needed to scale alongside it. Becky Kroft, a registered nurse and Medical Services Manager who has been with BraunAbility for over 30 years, has been at the center of that effort.
As a clinician, she understands that financial stress doesn't stay at home. It comes to work. It shows up in presenteeism, in distraction, in how people interact with one another. That insight shaped how BraunAbility thought about financial wellness from the beginning.
BraunAbility's workforce spans generations and roles, from first-time employees who just received their first paycheck to seasoned employees navigating retirement planning and medical debt. Across the manufacturing floor and the office, Becky observed common pressure points: 401(k) loan activity, housing instability, medical debt, and employees facing major life events without a financial plan to fall back on.
Employees were coming to HR overwhelmed, unsure where to start, and often paralyzed by the size of the problem in front of them. What they needed wasn't a generic tool or a budget template, they needed someone who could sit with them, understand their specific situation, and help them take the next step without judgment.
“We really just wanted to offer something that was a little bit more elevated in helping our people.” — Becky Kroft
BraunAbility first partnered with Your Money Line in 2018, initially as an addition to their employee assistance program. What began as a supplemental resource has grown into one of the most valued benefits in their entire package.
Over seven years, Becky has watched YML evolve alongside BraunAbility. As the company's workforce grew and its needs shifted, YML consistently adapted, whether that meant addressing a surge in 401(k) loan activity with targeted educational messaging, supporting employees navigating medical debt, or helping people understand the long-term implications of their retirement decisions.
“YML has consistently pivoted with whatever our needs are at that time.”
One of the defining qualities of BraunAbility's experience with YML is how well it serves a diverse workforce. Manufacturing environments present unique challenges: employees range widely in age, income, and role type. Some work on-site, easily able to walk into HR for a conversation while others are remote or field-based and may be more hesitant to ask for help.
YML removes those barriers. Whether an employee wants to make a phone call, send an email, or use the app on their own time, support is always available. The experience is personal, confidential, and never one-size-fits-all.
“It meets our people where they are. Whether it's someone on their first job who doesn't know what to do with their first income, or someone preparing for retirement, it helps everyone at every juncture.”
Every employee who comes through Becky's door, whether filing for medical leave, navigating a personal crisis, or trying to understand their benefits, leaves with a YML card clipped to their paperwork. In Becky's experience, there is almost always a financial component to whatever an employee is dealing with.
"There is always some financial component to anything, whether it is a medical issue, whether it's a family issue. It is not often, if ever, that someone doesn't leave my office with that clipped to their paperwork."
Perhaps the most meaningful outcome of that referral habit is what happens next. Before YML, employees tended to deal with financial problems reactively, waiting until a crisis forced them to act. After engaging with YML, Becky has seen a consistent shift.
"It really has moved the needle from people being reactive in their planning to being proactive."
Employees are setting realistic budgets for the first time, maximizing HSA contributions, and understanding the long-term value of their 401(k) and employer match. And when medical bills pile up, Becky now has something real to offer: a guide who will go through it piece by piece and make sure employees aren't making things worse by waiting.
In a competitive labor market, especially in manufacturing, retention is one of the most pressing challenges HR leaders face. Becky makes a compelling case for why financial wellness, done well, is one of the most powerful retention tools available.
Her reasoning is straightforward: employees who understand their total compensation, not just their paycheck, are far less likely to leave for an extra dollar an hour. When people see how their benefits, retirement contributions, and financial decisions work together, they begin to understand that money is not just what they earn but how it works for them.
“There is a freedom with spending your money any way you want. But there is a bigger freedom with financial freedom. They're showing up because they feel like their employer actually cares about them.” — Becky Kroft
BraunAbility's 41% engagement rate is not a coincidence, it is the result of consistent, intentional promotion and a genuine match between the benefit and the workforce's needs.
For HR leaders weighing their options, Becky's recommendation is straightforward.
"If you want a benefit that your people will actually use, will actually support them, and will add to your productivity and your retention numbers, this is it.”
YML has scaled with the company, adapted to its changing needs, and delivered something that most benefits simply cannot: a genuine sense of financial safety and confidence for the people who show up every day to build life-changing products for others.
Seven years in, BraunAbility's partnership with Your Money Line is still growing.
