GHM account manager completes institute training

Laura Rowe, account manager of GHM Insurance Agency in Waterville and Auburn, completed the Certified Insurance Counselors Agency Management Institute in May, according to a news release last week from the company.

Laura Rowe

The insurance institute was one of the five parts of the Certified Insurance Counselors Program offered annually. After the completion of all five institutes, covering all major areas of the insurance field and five rigorous examinations, Rowe will be awarded the Certified Insurance Counselors designation by The National Society of Certified Insurance Counselors, the nation’s largest provider of professional insurance education.

Rowe, a 17-year veteran of the insurance industry, has been an insurance agent at GHM Agency since 2000.

Augusta business owner becomes bar overseers chairwoman

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has announced the appointment of public member Cathy A. DeMerchant of Augusta as the chairwoman of the Board of Overseers of the Bar, according to a news release from the board.

Also, Judson B. Esty-Kendall, of Bangor, was chosen as vice chairman; and Richard P. Dana, of Cape Elizabeth, was reappointed to the board. Their appointments took effect June 19.

DeMerchant is the president and co-owner of Capital Area Staffing Solutions Inc., with offices in Augusta and Bangor. She began her tenure with the board on Jan. 1, 2010, serving two terms on the Fee Arbitration Committee, 2010-2015, before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court appointed her to the board on the recommendation of Gov. Paul LePage. Her other public service activities include serving as the current board president of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, and being a member of MaineGeneral Health board of directors, the Augusta Board of Trade and the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The Board of Overseers of the Bar was created by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in 1978 to govern the conduct of lawyers as officers of the court. The board regulates the conduct of lawyers by enforcing the Maine Bar Rules adopted by the court.

Local SERVPRO franchise wins national award

Peter and Leah Haraden, of SERVPRO of Augusta/Waterville, joined a group of high-performing franchisees who were recognized during an awards event at the recent SERVPRO annual convention, according to a news release from the company.

SERVPRO of Augusta/Waterville received the Director’s Platinum award. More than 2,500 owners, key staff and corporate representatives attended the annual event, which was held June 24-28 in Seattle.

The company specializes in disaster cleanup, restoration and remediation services.

Hammond Lumber honored for Belgrade mills’ safety

The Northeast Lumber Manufacturers Association announced in June that it has given Hammond Lumber Co. two awards for outstanding safety performance during 2016 at Hammond’s sawmill and planer mill in Belgrade, according to a news release from the company.

The awards are given to mills operating in the New England states, plus New York and Pennsylvania.

A Maine family-owned business founded in 1953, Hammond finished first in Division 2 for the combined operations of both mills. Hammond’s sawmill also earned an Honorable Mention in Division 2 for an accident-free year. Divisions are determined by the number of worker-hours logged during a calendar year. A Division 1 classification represents 1 to 25,000 hours, while Division 2 represents 25,000 to 50,000 hours.

Perhaps best known today as a building supplier operating 13 retail stores throughout Maine, Hammond Lumber began in 1953 as a three-man sawmill, which is still housed at its original location in Belgrade.

According to safety director Bruce Pelletier, there has not been a lost-time accident in the sawmill since 2004, nor in the planer mill since 2001.

A safety committee established in 1985 continues to meet once a month to identify and correct potential safety hazards on the job as well as discuss ideas for keeping everyone in the company safe during their off-hours, too. The position of full-time safety director was created in 2005 and has been filled by Pelletier since then.

Eleven people work in the sawmill, and six in the planer mill.

Compiled from contributed releases