As anyone who owns a home or business property, the time eventually comes when you need to invest and make updates to keep up with the forces of time and nature. For us here at Hardt Insurance, that time has come as we’ve been making updates to our building.
Our office building at 511 Huron Street is about 70 years old. It was originally built as a medical office, and every interior wall is concrete block construction. The water and sewer lines that run beneath the building seemed to have hit their useful lifespan, which drove the need to launch this project. We also needed to make some electrical upgrades to the building, so when the dust has settled, we’ll have made improvements to the water, sewer, and electrical connections for the building.
Meanwhile, we had space at the rear of the building that had become obsolete and under-utilized. So “while we’re at it”, we’re installing more energy-efficient lighting, updating the individual offices, expanding our conference room, and putting more modern ADA-compliant bathroom and kitchenette facilities into the building. This will allow space to spread employees out a bit more, while also leaving room for growth in staff in future years, as the agency continues to expand.
We were fortunate to be awarded a $25,000 Michigan Economic Development Corporation “Match on Main” grant to put toward the cost of this project. This program awards matching dollars from MEDC to help existing small main street-type businesses update and modernize, to help keep “Michigan’s downtowns unique and authentic” according to MEDC’s website. We are especially grateful to The Greater South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce the City of South Haven and DDA for supporting the program and assisting with the application process.
Hardt Insurance has been located in South Haven’s downtown area since 1906, and this project positions us to continue to be located here for many years to come. We want folks to know that when you do business with Hardt Insurance, your dollars stay local. Our staff all live in the area, and we support several local organizations through donations and volunteer time. We hope to continue to grow and invest in the South Haven area, and we look forward to providing our current and future customers with fast, friendly, and local service. If we can chat with you about your business, farm, or personal business needs, please contact us and let us know how we can help.
