Jim Chalmers
jchalmers@chalmers-ins.com
Producer, Chalmers Insurance Group
Age: 28
Home: Falmouth
FUN FACTS
Favorite band:
U2
Favorite place in Maine:
Either on a mountain skiing or at the beach
I want everyone to know...
Maine is a great place- from skiing, to hiking to the coast, you can't beat it.
What is the Chalmers business and where is it located?
We're an independent insurance agency as well as a real estate agency. We write mostly Property and Casualty, but also specialize in boys and girls summer camps as well as ski areas. We're celebrating our 150th anniversary this year. The company originated in Bridgton, Maine, and now we have nine locations in western Maine and also in the Mount Washington valley in New Hampshire.
What's the history of the company?
The company was founded in 1857 by George G. Wight. There were three previous owners of the business before my great-grandfather Harold Braithwaite bought the business in 1928. Harold's son-in-law, Herbert Chalmers, joined the agency in 1948, and the company then became Braithwaite-Chalmers Insurance Agency. Herbert is my grandfather; Herb's sons, my dad Bruce and my uncle Bill, who are the present owners, went back to work for the agency after they graduated from college. My cousin and I decided to come back and also work in the family business.
Where did you grow up and go to school?
I grew up in Bridgton, Maine, and went to the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire for high school. I then went to Bowdoin College in Brunswick.
Did you have opportunities outside of Maine after college? Did you pursue them?
Yes. I went and worked for an insurance carrier in Boston for two years, but that was with the intention to receive training in the insurance field before coming back to work for the family agency.
For me, it was a unique opportunity to come back and work for a successful family business. Boston's great, but I like to get out and hike and I'm a huge skier. After two years of the bustle of Boston, I was ready to come back to Maine.
You are active in the PROPEL group in Portland, which is a division of the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce for young members. What's going on in Portland for young people and is there anything new and exciting upcoming?
There's a lot going on. With the new PROPEL group, we have numerous events coming up, from "Lunch and Learns" to Business After Hours to Sea Dogs events. Portland is unique because of all of the extra-curricular activities that are there.
What does it take as a small business person to succeed in Maine?
Opportunity is there in Maine. Southern Maine is growing and there is opportunity out there for young people. There's a wonderful college and university system in the state, as well as things like the Libra Future Fund that are resources to call upon for a young person with ideas. In Maine even your competitors will help you out at times. For example, other agencies will refer business to us if they can't handle it. Every state has its issues, but for Maine there's great potential for young people to get involved.
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