Strickler Express May and June 2009

Business Of The Month: Ladd-Hanford Motors

The folks over at Strickler asked me to write a short article on what’s going on over at Ladd Hanford.  First of all, I want to say how much I appreciate the value pricing and top notch service at Strickler.  We do all our health insurance, property and casualty and I do my personal insurance needs also.

We represent 4 different manufacturers – Chrysler (which includes the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands), Mazda, Kia and Suzuki.  The biggest news for us is that Chrysler recently completed the necessary restructuring to qualify for government loans.  These funds will allow Chrysler to remain as a viable company long in to the future and to become partners with FIAT.  This is all good news because business will continue as usual here for us at Ladd Hanford.  All warranties and vehicle incentives will be paid without interruption.  Our customers will not notice anything different other than the fact that within the next year or two, we will have a complete product portfolio of smaller, more fuel efficient cars built off the FIAT platforms here in the U.S.  Those products will be an excellent complement to our SUVs, Vans and Trucks.

As I said, Chrysler completed the restructuring of union contracts, employee count, and debt required by the government to remain a viable car company, but there were several lenders who would not go along with the debt restructuring plan.  It is because of those hold outs that Chrysler had to go to bankruptcy court to force those banks to go along with the program.  The court restructuring should go very quickly, within 30 to 60 days, because 95% of the restructuring has already been done.

I personally love the Chrysler products and am very glad we will continue to represent this fine American company for many years to come.  I am also excited about the partnership with FIAT because it will provide us with a complete product portfolio of top quality fuel efficient cars.  If you have a chance, stop by and see us.  We are looking forward to helping you with your next auto purchase.

-Jamie Hanford

March Client Of The Month

Our agency is nothing without your loyalty and faith in us. Even if your name doesn’t appear below this month, please accept my heartfelt “thanks” for your support.  I truly appreciate it. For outstanding work  telling others about our agency, for the month of March we honored Bryan Nixon as our Referral Client of the Month! Bryan received a $50 Dinner Gift Certificate. Thanks for your continued business! (Who’s next?  Hint… it could be

Brenna Elliott, awarding Bryan his $50 Gift Certificate.

April Client Of The Month

For outstanding work telling others about our agency, for the month of April we honored Vicki DeLoatch as our Referral Client of the Month! Vicki received a $50 Dinner Gift Certificate. Thanks for your continued business!

Denise Eiceman, awarding Vicki her $50 Gift Certificate.

Tips From Your #1 Protection

Denise

Look into multi-policy discounts. Purchasing several policies with the same insurer will generally provide some savings in the form of a discount.

With the value of real estate going down, some home buyers may think that they can reduce the amount of insurance on their home. Insurance, however, is designed to cover the cost of rebuilding a home. It is not linked to the sale price of the home. Homeowners should be careful to purchase enough insurance coverage to completely rebuild their home and replace their belongings.

Why Purchasing A Renters Policy is a Great Idea

A client’s son had recently moved into his own apartment. Like many apartments, this one was equipped with interior fire sprinklers. Creatively, our client’s son decided to use these sprinkler heads as a laundry rack, and hung his freshly laundered t-shirts up to dry. A little later, in a hurry, he plucked a clean shirt from the sprinkler, and inadvertently set the sprinkler system off. Did you know that a typical Early Suppression Fast Response sprinkler system discharges approximately 100 gallons per minute? Unable to stop the system, he had to watch as the water soaked all his belongings, the carpet and the built-in furniture before flowing under the door and out into the hallway. And it didn’t stop there! The water also reached the apartments beneath, causing water damage to several neighbors’ furniture, expensive TVs and stereos, and computer equipment.

Luckily, he had a renter’s insurance policy, which covered him for the biggest loss: He was held liable for the damage to his neighbors’ property. A renter’s policy’s most important coverage is the liability protection it provides! This is crucial for people living in apartment and condo complexes with many close-by neighbors!

And reverse the scenario: If a distracted or irresponsible neighbor caused a fire or water loss that spreads to your unit, a renter’s policy will pay for damage to your belongings.

When asked about a renter’s policy, many folks do a quick calculation in their mind, and then decide “No, I don’t need a renter’s policy. I don’t have that much stuff, and it isn’t worth that much anyways.” What they don’t know is that a renter’s policy is actually not only about ‘protecting their stuff’. Indeed, coverage for personal property (anywhere in the world, no less) is merely the icing on the top of a renter’s policy.

Available for $10-15 per month, a renter’s policy can also save you money on your auto insurance, often times paying for itself! For more information or a quote, please call Denise or Becky today at (717)273-2641.

Community Corner

¨ United Way of Lebanon:  Is sponsoring “Stuff the Bus” from June 21st through July 21st. They will be collecting school supplies and backpacks to give to needy children, specifically grades pre-school to middle school. Please contact Emily Guilliams, eguillams@unitedwaylebco.org, Khrista Dechert, kdechert@unitedwaylebco.org, Romeeka Gayhart, rgayhart@unitedwaylebco.org, or simply call them at 717-273-8144 to get a list of items needed as well as a bus location to drop off near you.

•  Lebanon County Christian Ministries:  Is sponsoring the 15th Annual Golf Outing at the Lebanon Valley Golf Course on Friday, June 5th. Entry cost is $60.00 per golfer with a choice of a 7:30am or 1:30pm shotgun start time. Price includes round of golf with a cart, prizes, drinks, snacks, and a steak dinner! Lots of fun to be had by all and ALL proceeds benefit various LLCM services in our area!
• Lebanon Valley Sertoma Club: Is having the annual golf outing on the 17th of September.
• Developmental & Disability Services of Lebanon:  Needs volunteers to assist children in the summer camp “Buddy” program.  Call Jess Penchard
• YMCA:  Summer camp for all ages is getting geared up.  Also, pre-school camp is available.