St. Paul, Minnesota-based DWC, a third-party 401(k) plan administrator that bills itself as “The 401(k) Experts,” and Orem’s Hawkins Retirement have announced that the two companies will merge. Hawkins Retirement provides essentially the same services as DWC. The combined company will operate under the DWC-The 401(k) Experts brand.

Hawkins executive Lori Reay will join DWC as a partner. As a partner at Hawkins, Reay has 16 years’ experience in 401(k) plan administrations.

The merger expands DWC’s existing client base to over 3,000 plans, the company said.

“After talking to Lori about the similarities in our companies’ philosophies and dedication to premium service, I knew that this merger would be a step forward for both companies,” said Keith Clark, partner and co-founder of DWC. “The merger is a huge opportunity for Hawkins Retirement and DWC to come together as a unified company to better serve our network, ensuring continuity and the excellence Hawkins Retirement’s existing clients are accustomed to.”

“Hawkins Retirement is known for its service and results,” said Reay. “Uniting with DWC will strengthen our business models and allow us to deliver even greater results. The best news is clients will see no disruption in services as our service model and infrastructure are similar.”