L& A Mutual celebrates opening of new branch office in Harrowsmith

Julie Druker | Nov 11, 2015

On November 6, Rick Walters, president of Lennox and Addington Mutual Insurance, was beaming at the official ribbon cutting celebration for the opening of the company's first ever satellite office, which is located in the Harrowsmith Plaza.

L& A Mutual board members, along with staff from the new branch and the company's head office in Napanee, were joined by dignitaries and members of the local business community to celebrate this milestone for a business that has been serving rural property owners for close to 14 decades. L&A Mutual first opened its doors in 1876.

The company’s six-member board of directors all have an agricultural background.

Rick Walters said the company chose Harrowsmith as the location for their first branch office not only to help serve their existing customers in Frontenac County but also to generate some new business in the area. Walters said that when looking for a new location, it was the Harrowsmith Plaza, the new hub of business activity in the local community that made the perfect fit. “We chose Harrowsmith because we wanted to commit to our customers in Frontenac County and are moving forward by continuing to take care of future rural customers, who are our niche. We do business online but still find that a lot of our customers like to be able to shake hands and talk one on one with staff, and with this new office we can accommodate that.”

After giving a brief history of the company, Walters updated guests on the 140-year-old business, which now offers its clients farm, homeowner's and small commercial, as well as auto insurance. He said he is hoping that by this spring the company will be able to offer a recreational dwelling package as well. Currently staff at L& A Mutual are looking into offering aviation insurance with the hopes of insuring the commercial use of drones. Walters then thanked a number of individuals and companies, including the board of directors who committed the necessary dollars to open the new branch; Ann Prichard of the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation; and Walters' wife Susi, who supplied the artwork that decorates the new branch.

Mayor of South Frontenac, Ron Vandewal, who was in attendance along with Deputy Mayor John McDougall, also spoke at the event and welcomed the new business, congratulating staff on their expansion with the words, “ A business that has lasted 140 years is obviously doing something right.” Ann Prichard, executive director of the FCFDC, who helped organize and promote the event, said she was thrilled to be able to welcome a new business to the community. Following the ribbon cutting, guests enjoyed a light lunch and other refreshments courtesy of Desert Lake Gardens of Sydenham. The new branch office is located at 5062 Road 38 in Harrowsmith and is open Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am-4:30 pm; Fridays from 8am- 4pm. For more information call the office at 613-372-2980 or visit
www.l-amutual.com