JS Crop Insurance acquired (12/31/05)

A local business has been acquired by Wells Fargo Insurance Inc.

JS Crop Insurance Inc., 105 E. Lafayette St., Portland, has been acquired by Wells Fargo, the nation’s largest crop insurance provider. The announcement was made on Tuesday.

The acquisition expands Wells Fargo’s reach to farming customers in Indiana and Ohio. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

JS Crop Insurance was founded in 1988 by Jeff Smith and managed by his wife Agnes Smith. Both have joined Wells Fargo. The Smiths have won several awards including the Farmers Mutual President’s Award and Statesman Award for Indiana and Ohio, and the Rural Community Insurance bronze, silver and platinum awards.

They are members of the National Crop Growers Association of Independent Agents, the Indiana Seed Trade Organization, Indiana Plant Feed and Agricultural Chemicals Association and Professional Insurance Agents.

JS opened its newest location in October of 2004.

“Customers who have crop insurance policies with JS Crop will continue to receive the superior customer service from the dedicated staff they know,” Jeff Smith said in a press release. “Now our customers and insurance sales representatives will have access to one of the largest insurance providers in the country, as well as all of Wells Fargo Bank products.”

“We look forward to working with the team at JS Crop Insurance on a smooth transition and to bringing our combined expertise to new and existing customers,” senior vice president of Wells Fargo Dan Monson said in a press release. “JS Crop and their team have a solid reputation for providing top quality advice and service and we will continue with that tradition.”

Earns accreditation

Comprehensive Mental Health Services Inc. recently earned the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ Gold Seal of Approval.

“We sought accreditation for our organization because we want to demonstrate our commitment to clients’ safety and quality care,” director of systems services Gary Garofolo said in a press release. “We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence.”

“CMHS’s accreditation achievement is a demonstration of the organization’s leadership and staff commitment to excellence,” executive director of Behavioral Health Care Accreditation Program Joint Commission Mary Cesare-Murphy said.

The award of accreditation is for three years. The goal of the commission is to improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public by healthcare organizations.

There is a CMHS in Portland.

Seeking nominations

The Portland Area Chamber of Commerce will soon be seeking nominations for its annual awards.

Honor categories include Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year, Industry of the Year and Lifetime Achievement.

Nomination forms will be faxed or e-mailed to business locations.

For more information, contact the chamber at (260) 726-4481 or [email protected].

Earn IWU degree locally

An information session on earning an associate’s degree in business through Indiana Wesleyan University will be held at the John Jay Center for Learning on Tuesday, Oct. 11, from noon to 5:30 p.m.

The associate of science in management program is targeted to begin in Portland on Thursday, Nov. 10. Classes will be held one night a week from 6 to 10 p.m. A degree can be earned in 18 to 24 months, books are delivered to the classroom and financial aid, student loans and tuition deferment are available.

Call student services advisor Nancy Moser at JJCL at (260) 729-5525 or IWU enrollment manager Chad Robertson at (800) 234-5327 to schedule an appointment for Oct. 11.

Jeans mean green

Employees of Pacesetter Bank branches in East Central Indiana will be wearing jeans on Friday to raise money for breast cancer research.

The employees will make a $5 donation to wear jeans as part of Lee National Denim Day. The money will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Last year, 1.7 million people from more than 27,000 companies and organizations participated in Denim Day. The efforts helped raise $8.5 million.

Pacesetter Bank operates six offices located in Jay, Randolph, Blackford and Grant counties.

Katrina volunteers to speak

Local residents who answered the call for help in the wake of Hurricane Katrina will speak at the October luncheon hosted by the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce.

The speakers will share tales of their experiences in the storm-damaged Gulf Coast region.

The luncheon will be held at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 25 in the Jay County Hospital conference rooms.

Hired as catalog director (photo)

Dynamic Resource Group of Berne has hired a new catalog director. Michele Fortune assumed the role on Sept. 12.

Fortune has a range of experience in retail and direct marketing, with extensive merchandising and product development expertise. She has held senior level management positions in the retail and mail order industry for more than two decades.

She began her career in department stores as a buyer for the Filene Department Store. Recruited by Lord and Taylor in New York, she spent 11 years with the company, advancing to the position of senior vice president for women’s apparel. She served as president of Ann Taylor and also held senior merchandising positions with TJX and K-Mart.

In 1997, Fortune relocated to Vermont to serve as vice president of merchandising for Vermont Country Store. Most recently, she was vice president of merchandising and product development for Country Home Products, where she merchandised the company’s catalog and also launched several new products.

Car buyers beware

Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter is urging those consumers in the market to buy a used car to be cautious of flood-damaged vehicles from the gulf region that may have made their way onto Indiana lots.

“Thousands of cars were flooded in the gulf region, and over the next several months some unscrupulous people may try to refurbish and sell these vehicles without disclosing the damage that has been done,” Carter said in an e-mailed press release.

“There are some common signs of a flood-damaged car, but not all damage is readily apparent. Buyers need to allow their mechanic to inspect a car before they purchase it — particularly be concerned if the cars history shows it has been titled in a gulf region state that has been affected by flooding,” he added.

Consumers in the market to buy a used car in the coming months should follow some guidelines:

•Have a mechanic inspect the car, especially in areas that you can’t reach or see, and in areas that you don’t have expertise, such as the electrical system.

•Be cautious if the car has a musty or mildew odor.

•Look for water marks on the carpet.

•Run the vehicle identification number through a service that provides the history of a car for a small fee. This report can provide a more extensive history of the car than a seller may have. These services may reveal prior odometer or salvage/rebuild issues, and the states that have titled the car in the past.

Indiana law requires dealers who sell more than five vehicles a year to make written disclosures of salvage titled vehicles prior to selling the car.

“Being proactive and having an inspection done by a trusted mechanic before buying a car is one of the best protections against purchasing something that may not be what it seems,” Carter said.

Individuals who believe they have purchased a flood-damaged vehicle without being notified may file a complaint with attorney general’s office at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral or (800) 382-5516.

If one does not seek recovery through the attorney general’s office, but rather by filing a private lawsuit, victims could be eligible for damages up to three times actual damages or $2,500, whichever is greater, and attorney fees and costs.

ECIHRA annual event

The East Central Indiana Human Resources Association will conduct the Eighth Annual Workshop and Exhibition on Friday, Oct. 21, at the Ball State University Alumni Center in Muncie.

Registration is at 7:30 a.m., and the workshop will run from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost is $69.

Speakers for this all-day event include:

•Mike MacLean, attorney at law with Baker & Daniels — “The Unvarnished Truth About HSAs.”

•Gloria Swardenski, professional coach — “Seven Simple Strategies for Smiling Employees: How You Can Have Happy Employees Who Accomplish More, Get Along Better and Stick Around Longer!”

•Karl Alrichs, director, SPHR, with Professional Staff Management — “People as a Competitive Advantage - Hiring Smart, Retaining Smarter.”

Registration forms and additional information are available on the ECIHRA web site at www.ecihra.com. Registration forms can be faxed to Darla Brown at (765) 751-7818.[[In-content Ad]]