Our Story | CTR Payroll & HR History

3 Generations of Passion

Founded in 1964, CTR is a privately held, third-generation company based outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Back in the day, CTR stood for “Cincinnati Time Recorders” as CTR was one of the leading time clock distributors in Pennsylvania.

Over sixty years later, customers still know us by the name “CTR” but we have evolved to much more than just punching time clocks. Today, CTR provides a full application suite to assist managing your employees from hire to retire—a true “Human Capital Management” solution that can literally automate and simplify every aspect of the employee life cycle.

CTR is proud of its ability to continue to evolve through decades of ever changing technology in our industry. We feel that our unwavering commitment to continue to provide the latest technology and services has contributed to our longevity and success.

3-Generations-of-CTRHCM-Payroll-Specialists

Decades of Experience

However, even more than technology, our success is most attributable to our staff! Our staff consists of experienced professionals, most with more than a decade of experience with payroll, time and attendance, human resources, and benefits administration. We are a team of relentless problem solvers who continue to dedicate ourselves to assist our customers daily while also juggling their families, faith, hobbies, and more.

Meet Our Team »

So what does CTR stand for now?

We’ve joked that it means “Chicks That Rock.” And sure, we do. But today, CTR stands for something far bigger.

For some, it’s Clarity. Trust. Results.
For others, Clients. Technology. Relationships.

However you define it, CTR has become shorthand for one thing above all - an irreplaceable partner.

Because behind every acronym is a team that shows up, solves problems, and delivers real results.

A Peek Into Our History

CTR was founded in 1964 by Mr. William R. Duffy as Cincinnati Time Recorders, a distributor of mechanical time clocks and parking and revenue control systems. Mr. Duffy’s commitment to exceptional customer service quickly set CTR apart, establishing the company as a trusted leader in time clock sales and service throughout the Pittsburgh region.

A History of Innovation

In 1980, CTR brought an innovative new product to the market: PC-based time and attendance systems. Over the next 25 years, as the demand for automated time solutions increased, CTR became one of the largest and most successful time and attendance distributors in the Northeastern US with over 3,000 time and attendance customers.

Constant Expansion

As CTR’s clients expanded, so did their needs. In 1999, CTR responded by adding fully integrated Payroll and Human Resources Solutions, forming CTR Employee Management Services, Inc. Our dedication to fast, reliable, and personalized service helped us scale rapidly—processing over 40,000 paychecks per month for clients nationwide.

You Spoke, We Listened

As the industry evolved, so did we. What started as a demand for “integrated” solutions grew into the need for a true single-source platform. Our clients spoke and we listened. Today, CTR’s Human Capital Management Division delivers a complete suite of services, including Payroll, Tax Filing, HR, Time & Attendance, Benefits Administration, Onboarding, and more. All powered by the single-database isolved HCM platform, giving clients seamless access to their most critical workforce functions—all in one place.

Payroll & HR

Talent Acquisition

Workforce Management

Talent Management

Benefits Administration

Insurance Services

“CTR has been an absolute pleasure to work with. Switching to the new isolved platform has saved us countless hours with giving us the tools to track our employee attendance, payroll as well as general HR functions. The staff at CTR has been very helpful and always available to answer any questions that we may have. Love working with CTR!”

Eric L.

Director of Human Services

“CTR does a great job in having an “all in one” HRIS system that supports critical areas of our business. We are also pleased with the ongoing support that their team provides with any new features or enhancements to our current platform.”

VP of Operations

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