Stacy Irwin wasn’t necessarily looking for a new health care benefits plan when she attended a Columbiana County Farm Bureau meeting earlier this year, but after chatting with Mike Boyert, who serves as northeast regional trustee on Ohio Farm Bureau’s state board, that quickly changed.
Boyert, who was attending the meeting to help increase Farm Bureau memberships, shared his own experiences and the value he’s found through his own membership to ignite Irwin’s interest in some of the member benefits — specifically the OFB Health Benefits Plan, a plan that offers potential savings for sole proprietors and employers in the agricultural economic sector.
Boyert shared how Farm Bureau was there for him when he and his wife began their business, Boyert’s Greenhouse and Farm in 1987, when they were trying to get what was then a 34-acre operation up and running in Medina, Ohio.
Today, Boyert has 47 employees, including his four children, and takes pride in treating all of his workers like family, and health benefits were no exception.
“Providing health benefits through a reputable organization is a good feeling as a business owner. You go to bed at night, you feel safe and you don’t have to worry,” Boyert said. “Being involved on the state board opened my eyes to look for value and bring it to our membership.”
The OFB Health Benefits Plan offers potential savings for Ohio farmers and small businesses with 1-50 employees.
“In our world today, trying to keep an employee around, especially in the agriculture industry, it’s tough,” Boyert said. “But, if you can give them one more thing, one more tool they can take home, it’s really a win-win for everybody.”
Igniting interest with value
After hearing positive feedback from Boyert, the Health Benefits Plan piqued Irwin’s interest as she and her husband, Gary, reviewed the benefit options for their employees, something they do annually. The Irwins own K&S Millwrights, a family-owned company that designs, builds and maintains feed mills, grain storage facilities, and on-farm grain management operations. The Irwins’ company has 27 employees.
Source: ofbf.org
Photo Credit: gettyimages-simplycreativephotography
Categories: Ohio, General