Insurance company changes owners, location

Beginning Sept. 1, the Farmers Insurance office will move from its current home at the former A&W restaurant on Shoshoni Street. At the same time, the business is changing hands.

Julie Lehman has been the local agent for over three years. She said the business has always been a segway for her from nursing to giving the former restaurant some new life as the planned dinosaur-themed Raptor’s Family Grill and Pub. However, she doesn’t want to try and do insurance while taking on a second business.

Lehman also noted she has been a nurse for about 10 years, starting with Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital. She also worked in Riverton and is currently doing shift work at Thermopolis Rehabilitation and Wellness.

Taking over at Farmers is her brother Ross Hawkins, who graduated from Hot Springs County High School in 1988, and was most recently teaching fifth grade in Marysville, Wash.

Hawkins and Lehman explained the insurance business is currently in transition until January, though the new office at 224 Springview will open Sept. 5 with Hawkins running it. Lehman added the acquisition through the corporate office will take about three months.

Right now, Hawkins said, he is learning how insurance works and understanding why people need insurance. He hopes to impart that knowledge on his customers. He doesn’t want to upsell insurance, but rather sell people what they need while educating them on what their policies cover. He is willing to talk to anyone, not just Farmers customers.

Lehman said the new location for the office has been the second move in the past year, as she moved out of the office to begin the conversion of the space for a bar area at Raptor’s.

Regarding the restaurant, she said it is currently in a holding pattern, and as of Friday they were waiting until inspections from the state fire marshal and state electrical inspector are complete.