UNITY GROUP DONATES $5,000 TO BELLINGHAM FOOD BANK

The Unity Group is pleased to announce in lieu of corporate gifts they have chosen to make a $5,000 donation to the Bellingham Food Bank’s – Food Bank Fresh program.  Unity was a founding sponsor of this program last year and with its success is happy to continue supporting the program.  Their founding contribution resulted in the production of 8,000 pounds of food to the food bank throughout 2012.   “We are hopeful this contribution will provide over 10,000 visitors per month to the food bank with fresh, locally grown, organic produce throughout 2013,” says Barry Hanson, President of The Unity Group. 

For more information about the Food Bank Fresh program, please visit the Bellingham Food Bank’s web site at www.bellinghamfoodbank.org. 

UNITY GROUP TO SPEAK AT NW FOOD PROCESSOR’S EXPO

Andy Billingsley, Employee Benefits Specialist at The Unity Group Insurance and Employee Benefits will be a guest speaker at the 99^th Annual NW Food Processors Expo and Conference to be held in Portland, Oregon, January 14^th-16^th, 2013.  Andy, partnered with Kristine Bingman Esq. of Vigilant, will speak on the latest components of the Health Care Reform debate, the Affordable Care Act, IRS rules, and creative cost control strategies.  Human Resource Professionals who attend their session will earn 1.5 HRCI credits.  This session is among 40 educational opportunities available during the conference.

The expo will host over 400 exhibitor booths and will attract over 3000 industry professionals from around the world.  Limited free tickets are available to individuals from the food processing industry who would like to attend this event.  Please contact Amanda Brock at amandab@theunitygroup.com for more details.

For more information about the NW Food Processors Expo and Conference, please visit the organization’s website at http://www.nwfpa.org/expo2013.

FREE FLOOD INSURANCE WORKSHOPS FOR LENDERS AND REALTORS

The Unity Group Insurance will be hosting two free workshops on Flood Insurance Essentials on October 22^nd (4-5pm) and October 23^rd (8-9am).  Both sessions will be held at 110 Unity Street in Bellingham.  The workshops will be taught by a Certified Floodplain Manager who is flying in from Arizona specifically for these courses. 

Talking points include: The Definition of Flood, Flood Zone Determination, Mandatory Purchase Agreements, and Coverage Requirements.  Attendees are encouraged to submit questions prior to the event as the presenter would like to address as many inquires as possible in the allotted time. 

“We feel it’s necessary to provide as much education as possible to local lenders and realtors on the National Flood Insurance Program," said Amelia Mendenhall, Personal Insurance Agent. "By providing information to other local professionals to better educate buyers in Whatcom County, smarter purchases will be made and everyone is at less financial risk the event of a flood. Increased flood insurance coverage in flood-prone areas can reduce tax dollars spent on future flood-related disasters. This information really helps everyone in the community."

UNITY GROUP OFFERING SALES TRAINING

Kari Glennon, Partner and Sales Leader at The Unity Group, will be conducting sales training in addition to the organization’s currently provided services.  Samples of topics include: Personal Branding, Improving Value Propositions, Advanced Questions Asking Skills and Overcoming Objections.  This service is available to clients and non-clients on a project basis and can be customized for each organization.

Kari earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Puget Sound and has 17 years of experience in Sales and Marketing. She finds staying connected to the pulse of the market key to providing quality counsel to organizations whom she provides training and consultation.

“I am passionate about education and believe by offering enrichment opportunities, we are ultimately helping with the sustainability of our business community” said Amanda Brock, Marketing & Events Coordinator for The Unity Group. “With Kari’s background and expertise, it only seemed natural to offer sales training which can be a fundamental part to any business’ successful growth.”

DOWNTOWN BELLINGHAM PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCES NEW SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership and The Unity Group have announced a critical new sponsorship agreement for the final performance of the 2012 Downtown Sounds Concert Series. When the former sponsor for the last concert backed out in July, the Partnership was faced with a number of options, including possibly canceling the show. Fortunately, The Unity Group stepped in and offered to sponsor the concert. 

The concert series relies heavily on businesses to pay for the cost of the bands.  Without sponsorship and support from local businesses, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership can't offer the concerts for free. "I think Downtown Sounds helps build a strong downtown community. By offering a series of free summer concerts, it benefits local businesses, community groups, downtown residents and visitors," explains Rob Camandona, Executive Director for The Downtown Bellingham Partnership. "It's hard to express the gratitude we have for The Unity Group's generosity towards the concert series as well as to downtown in general."

The Unity Group is no stranger to supporting their community. "Part of The Unity Group's mission is to invest in the success of our community. We value what the Downtown Bellingham Partnership does for local businesses and residents, so when Rob approached us with this opportunity to help, it seemed like a perfect fit," explains Robb Dale, CEO of The Unity Group.

The final concert of the 2012 season, will be on August 8^th and is expected to be the biggest show in the series, drawing the most people due to the popularity of the band and the announcement of the grand prize raffle winners. Bay Street in Bellingham will be transformed into a large public space, which was recently ranked #8 in the list of the top 100 public spaces in the US and Canada. The space allows the Partnership to offer a unique venue for the public to enjoy a free outdoor concert.

UNITY GROUP OFFERING SAFETY WORKSHOPS

The Unity Group is hosting safety-related workshops as part of the complimentary services they offer to their clients. This series is designed to offer clients access to valuable, up-to-date information that will help to develop businesses, improve processes and policies, and ease the administrative burden within organizations.

Workshops will cover various topics in the areas of Worker’s Compensation, Employment Practices Liability, Risk Management, OSHA Compliance & Reporting, and Claims Cost Containment.

This series will be in addition to their Business Development Series which covers topics for HR professionals and Managers to help control their overall company risks.

The Unity Group Wins Local Bocce Tournament

Andrew Olive, Sheldon Smith, Duncan Kirk, and Sheldon Satterthwaite represented The Unity Group at the Tenth Annual Bellingham Bay Bocce Tournament on Saturday, April 21, 2012. This was The Unity Group's first entry into the tournament in which they competed against thirty-two teams to win first place. Proceeds from the event went to benefit the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center. 

Tournament details are online at: http://www.boccemon.com

Celebrities Who Started In Insurance

For some, a job in insurance is a starting point that can open the doors to other opportunities. Here are eight celebrities who worked in the insurance industry before making it big outside our industry.

• Mark Burnett is best known as the producer of Survivor and the creator of the Apprentice. But before becoming a TV producer, Burnett worked in an insurance firm for two years and left it for a weekend job selling tee shirts.
• Charles Ives, who was one of the first American composers to achieve international fame, had a prosperous career as the director of a successful insurance agency in the early 1900s.
• Charles Lane, who appeared in hundreds of films and television shows including It's a Wonderful Life and I Love Lucy, started out as an insurance salesman.
• Wallace Stevens, who was an American Modernist poet, spent most of his life working as an executive for The Hartford.
• Anne Rice, who was a best selling author of novels like Interview with the Vampire, worked as an insurance claims processor.
• Bruce Jenner, who won the gold medal for the decathlon in the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics, sold insurance to support himself while training for the Olympics.
• Tom Clancy, who is best known for his military thriller novels, was the owner of the O.F. Bowen Agency.
• Colonel Sanders, who was famous for developing his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices for the Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food chain, had worked as insurance salesman.

(Source: National Underwriter)

Businesses Get Opportunity to Benchmark Their Employee Benefits Against Other Northwest Washington Companies (Press Release)

How Does Your Employee Benefits Package Measure Up?

With the cost of healthcare skyrocketing, employers are faced with evaluating their employee benefits packages on a regular basis.  If an organization has ever wondered how the benefits package they offer their employees measures up to other Western Washington companies, The Unity Group is offering an opportunity for them to find out at no cost.

The Unity Group is partnering with a national actuarial firm to conduct the 2012 Washington Health Benefits Benchmarking Survey.  By participating in this survey employers will receive customized benchmarking – a comparison of their unique plan(s) to others in their industry, of similar size, and all from Northwest Washington. With this data, organizations can assess their ability to attract and retain their most valuable asset, employees.  All information remains private and confidential. 

Employers with 50 or more employees are encouraged to participate.  The more surveys completed, the better the data will be for all participants.  Those who complete the survey will receive an individual custom report and an invitation to a seminar this Fall, which will include an interactive discussion and review of regional and national results.

For more information about the survey and a link to begin please visit, http://www.theunitygroup.com/health_benchmarking_survey.php

THE UNITY GROUP SUPPORTS JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT'S ANNUAL FUNDRAISER

Every year, The Unity Group (TUG) participates in Junior Achievement's Bowling Classic. This event is JA's largest fundraiser and the funds support their efforts to provide a series of business, economics and life-skills programs to enhance the education of young people in Whatcom County.

Several of TUG team members volunteer to teach the programs and have really enjoyed seeing their lessons positively impact the live's of local youth.

On March 16th, internal campaign coordinator Amanda Brock and JA's Regional Director Gretchen Pfluegar rallied employees at the annual kick-off meeting. Six team members volunteered to represent Unity at the JA Bowling Classic which is scheduled for May 11th.

Interested in supporting TUG's team? You can make a monetary donation on JA's website in support of TUG's team.

To learn more about Junior Achievement, how to participate, or about event sponsorship opportunities, please visit JA's website at www.jawashington.org.

Four New Employees in Q1-2012 (Press Release)

The Unity Group Insurance & Employee Benefits is pleased to announce the addition of four new employees: Jason Smith, Darrin Bode, Kara Van Metre and Amelia Mendenhall.

Jason Smith joined the organization as an account manager in the Employee Benefits Department. Jason earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Washington State University and brings with him over ten years of Customer Service experience.

Darrin Bode joined the sales team focusing within the Commercial Insurance Department. Darrin brings with him a successful track record in outside sales and positive recommendations from many members of the Whatcom business community.

Kara Van Metre, another new addition to the sales team, will be focusing on Commercial Insurance for small businesses. She brings ten years of combined sales and management experience with her as well as a Bachelor’s Degree from Western Washington University.

 Amelia Mendenhall, the newest team member, also joined the sales team. Amelia is specializing in the Personal Lines Department and brings with her two years of industry experience as an insurance agent. Amelia graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor’s Degree, worked for two years in Spokane and then returned to her hometown of Bellingham.