TheBuzz
TheBuzz
New England Financial
celebrates 150 years
of Hawaii businessBoston-based New England Financial commemorates 150 years of doing business in Hawaii next month.
Merged into Met Life in 1996, the company offers insurance and investment services.
Its first Hawaii policyholder in 1852 was Dr. Gerrit P. Judd, of the clan historically significant in Hawaii. A former medical missionary, Judd served as an adviser to both King Kamehameha III and his minister of finance, according to historical records assembled by New England Financial.
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Those records show that Judd became an insurance representative for the company and advertised its services in The Polynesian newspaper; he later served as one of New England Financial's first primary medical examiners for new clients."We're putting together a very large historical perspective of the agency," said Julie Arvedon, senior communications consultant. "(Our archivist has) done an incredible job ... assembling the entire history of the agency in Hawaii," which will be on display at a company reception.
"It's going to be an open house for clients and guests," said John Yanagihara, managing partner for the Honolulu office. "We also want to commemorate the people that helped us get started in Hawaii." That includes Judd, "and I believe it was Sam Castle and the Cookes that came over on the same boat. They were all instrumental in helping New England get a foothold in Hawaii although they'd been doing business elsewhere in the United States," Yanagihara said.
The company was founded in New England in 1836.
While long in tooth, the company is not top-of-mind as it doesn't advertise via mass media. "Our market is the affluent individual and business-owner market," Arvedon said. King Kalakaua was a policyholder in 1874.
As the company serves the bottom lines of its clients, it has also been spending its wealth in the islands during recent weeks. As of Friday, a gathering of 100 representatives was reaping the fruits of its labors at the Four Seasons Hualalai where entertainer Peabo Bryson was hired to entertain them.
Last month on Maui 1,000 other reps were rewarded with a stay at the Grand Wailea; Hall and Oates performed for those agents and their families. "The top tier is going to St. Petersburg, Russia," Yanagihara said.
"Every year there's a special trip," he said, which is true for managing partners as well. In 2000 Yanagihara and his colleagues traveled to Rome "and one night the company rented out the Sistine Chapel just for us."
This year the company chose Hawaii, but not just because of the impending anniversary.
"The company wanted to do something in Hawaii by way of helping our economy," he said. "They were well aware of how things were going here."
Hawaii is the destination of choice about every six years, he said. Prior to joining New England Financial, Yanagihara served as managing partner at Connecticut Mutual, which later merged with Mass Mutual.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com