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Published: Sunday, Sep. 23, 2012 / Updated: Monday, Sep. 24, 2012 12:43 PM

Watson insurance named Best Practices

GASTONIA Watson Insurance Agency has retained its status as part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America as a 2012 Best Practices Agency.

Each year since 1993, IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, join forces to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories.

The agencies in the study groups are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a “Best Practices Agency” designation. The selected “Best Practices” agencies retain their status during the three-year cycle by submitting extensive financial and operational data for review each year.

This year concludes the current three-year study in which more than 1,200 independent agencies throughout the U.S. were nominated to participate.

Only 224 agencies qualified for the honor. The agency was nominated by either an IIABA affiliated state association or an insurance company and qualified based on its operation excellence.

Watson Insurance is a third generation agency founded in 1934 by Thomas Craig Watson. The firm offers insurance for both businesses and homeowners. With over 11,000 customers, Watson offers a high level of customer service for the community at large. In addition to Gastonia, offices are located in Belmont, Lake Wylie and Lincolnton. Visit watsoninsurance.com for more information.

Electric Coops host Honor Flight

WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Mick Mulvaney will join a group of World War II Veterans on an Honor Flight on Wednesday, Sept. 26, hosted by the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.

Mulvaney will serve as a guardian to Dr. Edward S. “Buddy” Whitesides of Clover. The group will leave from Columbia Metropolitan Airport, fly to Washington, spend the day visiting the city and touring monuments, and then fly back to Columbia.

Whitesides served in the Army, 414th Infantry Regiment 104th Division in Germany during World War II. He lives in Clover and is a retired orthopedic surgeon.

Rock Hill attorney named among best

ROCK HILL Attorney W. Henry (Hank) Sipe III of Sipe Law Firm, LLC was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2013 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the categories of Taw Law and Trusts and Estates. since 2003. Best Lawyers is generally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States.

Sipe has more than 24 years of experience in estate planning, estate and trust administration, business/corporate law, and tax. Sipe has a Master of Laws in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, and is a certified tax specialist.

Learn about credit score

ROCK HILL A free workshop on credit scores and how to improve them will begin at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at the York County Library on Black Street.

The workshop is the second in an eight-month series being held free by the library and Family Trust Federal Credit Union. The series, “Know Your Dough: Inspiring Financial Freedom,” is held the second Tuesday of each month through April. Participants can attend one or all the workshops.

The “Improve Your Credit Score” workshop will be conducted by Jennifer Panther, a certified financial counselor with Family Trust. She’ll explain what makes up the credit score, how to make improvements and how to dispute errors on the credit report. Handouts will be provided.

Books on the topics will be available for checkout. Participants are asked to register in advance at familytrust.org/knowyourdough or call 803-326-2187.

Up next is Home-Buying Made Easy: Nov. 13.

Friends in Business invites new members

LAKE WYLIE Friends in Business of Lake Wylie is a local specialty-business networking group that welcomes visitors.

The group meets at 7:30 a.m. the first Wednesday of the month at Cafe 49, and 11:30 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month at All Saints Catholic Church.

For more information, call 803-631-5161 or visit lakewyliebusinesses.com.

Free financial workshops offered

ROCK HILL The York County Library and Family Trust Federal Credit Union are offering free finances and money management workshops “Know Your Dough: Inspiring Financial Freedom,” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the library on Black Street in Rock Hill.

Up next will be is Improve Your Credit Score, Oct. 9; Home-Buying Made Easy, Nov. 13; Auto-Buying Basics; Dec. 11; Understanding Home and Auto Insurance, Jan. 8; Investing with Confidence, Feb. 12; Identity Theft: Who’s got Your Number?, March 12; Legal Planning for Seniors, April 9.

Books on the topics will be available for checkout. Participants are asked to register in advance at familytrust.org/knowyourdough or call 803-326-2187.

Email business news to news@lakewyliepilot.com.