The Flood of 2008
(June 20, 2008 - Orion, IL)  As we watch the news of the devastating flooding in Iowa and all down the Mississippi River Valley, remember that there are many ways to help, from volunteering your time, to giving money and badly needed supplies. 

Online donations can be made through the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and the Salvation Army.  If you wish to volunteer your time, please contact your local Red Cross office or Emergency Management Agency first to receive instructions, rather than traveling to the flooded areas to show up to help.   

Happy Holidays from Svea Mutual Insurance Company
(December 6, 2007 - Orion, IL)  This holiday season, our offices will be closed Monday, December 24th and Tuesday, December 25th in observation of Christmas; and Monday, December 31st and Tuesday, January 1st (2008) for New Year's. 

Have a great holiday, everybody.  We'll see you in 2008! 

Happy 4th of July!
(July 2, 2007 - Orion, IL)  Svea Mutual Insurance Company will be closed on Wednesday, July 4th to observe Independence Day.  Don't forget to stop by Orion on Tuesday, July 3rd for the Lighted Parade and Fireworks show, which get underway at dark. 

We hope everyone has a wonderful, and most of all safe, holiday this year. 

UNDERWRITING NEWS (updated 7/2/07)
(May 15, 2007 - Orion, IL)  The Underwriting Department is slowly getting back to normal.  Lindsey is back for 2 days a week (Tuesday and Thursday) through July, and then back to her regular schedule after that.  Her baby is doing great, and she wants to pass along her thanks for all the well wishes she and her husband Chris have received. 

Svea Mutual Annual Meeting.
(February 19, 2007 - Orion, IL)  The fourth Friday in March each year brings the Annual Meeting, and this year that date if Friday, March 23rd.  The annual meeting will be held once again in the Methodist Church, Orion, Illinois.  Be looking for your official announcement around the first of March.  We hope to see you there! 

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Svea Mutual.
(November 22, 2006 - Orion, IL)  Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving weekend.  The home office will be closed from 4:00 pm Wednesday, November 22nd until 8:00 am Monday, November 27th.  Travel safe and have a wonderful holiday. 

Orion Fall Festival Labor Day Weekend
(August 23, 2006 - Orion, IL)  Orion's Fall Festival is a great time for the entire family, with tons of great stuff all weekend long.  Some of the highlights:
Friday, September 1:  pie contest and auction, carnival rides, arts and crafts show, a food tent and ice cream social in Central Park, and DJ music in the beer garden downtown.
Saturday, September 2:  one-mile fun run, the Nicholson Memorial 5K run, men's softball tournament, car show and food tent, petting zoo for the kids, the Fall Festival parade "Family and Community", an antique tractor display, 3-point shooting contest in Central Park, pork chop supper at the food tent, a free teen dance at the bandshell with live music, and a street dance with live music at the beer garden.
Sunday, September 3:  Lions Club pancake breakfast, live Christian music at the band shell, the continuation of the softball tournament, arts and crafts, food tent and the carnival in Central Park, BBQ rib dinner and more live music and street dances downtown.

Put Orion in your travel plans this Labor Day Weekend and come down for a great time at the Fall Festival!

The 2006 Deane Morey Open in Cambridge
(August 23, 2006 - Orion, IL)  Once again the Deane Morey Open will be head at Valley View Country Club in Cambridge, Illinois, on Thursday, September 7th, 2006.  Invitations have gone out, and feel free to organize your own teams.  It will be a preferred ball, shotgun start this year.  If you don't have a team, we'll set you up on the day of the tournament.  Hope to see you there!

The 2006 Svea Mutual Annual Meeting
(January 18, 2006 - Orion, IL)  The 2006 Annual Meeting is once again the fourth Friday of March, and this year that date is March 24th, 2006.  The meeting will get underway with lunch at 12:30 p.m., followed by the annual company meeting at 1:00 p.m.  This year's meeting, as in the past, will be conducted at the Orion United Methodist Church, 407 12th Avenue, Orion - right behind the Svea Mutual home office building.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Svea Mutual Insurance!
(December 9, 2005 - Orion, IL)  From the Svea Mutual family to yours, here's hoping you have a wonderful holiday season.  We'd like to thank all of our policyholders for their continued support and patronage and we look forward to serving you into another year.  Have a great holiday season and a great New Year from Svea Mutual Insurance Company, Orion, Illinois.  (Please see below for our holiday hours).  

Agents Advisory Meeting Notes for November 2nd
(November 22, 2005 - Orion, IL)  Diane Doran and Steve Killey saw their terms expire with our latest Advisory meeting, and we opened the day by thanking them for their time and efforts. 

Svea Mutual will be offering EFT Payments beginning early next year.  Around that time, we will also begin charging late fees for late premium payment and a fee for reinstating coverage.

The Advisory Committee was shown a video presentation detailing the adverse fire experience the company has endured this year, as well as a discussion on the claims procedures of other companies in an effort to improve our service and performance during difficult fire claims.

Some other topics of discussion were: insuring large farm equipment; livestock and other policy limits on the blanket and the possible need to raise some of these (which we will look into); uploading agency information and other topics relevant to technology and the web; credit card payments and allowing for premium credits on large farm risks.

Your Agents Advisory Committee is as follows:

Lynn Bowman, Bowman Insurance
Mike Hepner, Hepner Insurance
Steve Killey, Citizens Insurance Services - Roseville (Outgoing)
Tammy Pelz, The Pelz Agency
Larry Wang, Cover Insurance
Diana Doran, Doran Insurance & Services, Inc. (Outgoing)

Svea Mutual Holiday Hours for 2005-2006
(November 22, 2005 - Orion, IL)  Offices at Svea Mutual will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and the day after Thanksgiving (November 24 and 25). 

We will also be closed on Monday, December 26th; and on Monday, January 2nd, 2006.

We hope everybody has a safe and happy holiday season!  Enjoy your Thanksgiving, and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!    

Rain Shortens--But Doesn't Dampen--the Deane Morey Open
(October 5, 2005 - Cambridge, IL)  The Deane Morey Open debuted with its new name on September 8th.  Thanks to all our agents, board members and business friends for stopping out and making the day a success, despite the thunderstorm that rolled through the area midway through the round, forcing a stoppage of play.  Rain also didn't stop a robust crew of steak grillers as they stood around the fire pit.

Thanks to Valley View Country Club for their great hospitality once again this year, and thanks to everyone who donated pin and door prizes.  We'll see you next year.  Also, don't forget to check out the photo section for some new photos from the Open!

The Deane Morey Open
(August 8, 2005 - Orion, IL)  Svea Mutual is proud to announce the 34th year of its annual golf outing.  Formerly known as simply "The Svea Open," the outing is hereafter dedicated to the memory of our former Manager and Board Member Deane Morey, who passed away last year.  The 2005 "Deane Morey Open" will be held once again at Valley View Country Club in Cambridge on Thursday September 8th, 2005.  Click Here for Directions to Valley View.

Official invitations were mailed August 10th and we ask that our agents RSVP as soon as possible.  This year will feature a "preferred ball" format with prizes for the top 3 teams, plus our traditional pin prizes.  Lunch will be served at Noon, with a shotgun tee time scheduled for 1:30 pm.  A steak fry will follow at 5:00 pm with pin and door prizes announced afterwards.

Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
(July 26, 2005 – Orion, IL)  That CCR song seemed painfully appropriate over the past 2 months in the Svea Mutual writing area, as week after week went by with no significant rainfall.  After nearly a half-inch of rain last night, the town of Orion was greeted once again by a solid rain at around 1:30 this afternoon, and as of the time of this writing it was still raining. 

British Open Champion Todd Hamilton Back in Henderson County
(July 4, 2005 - Biggsville, IL)  Oquawka, IL, native and current British Open Champion Todd Hamilton defends his Open Championship this week at the historic St. Andrews Golf Links in Scotland. 

During the week of the John Deere Classic, he stopped by his home course, Hend-Co Hills in Biggsville, to show off the Claret Jug to old friends, including Svea Mutual Agent Rich Lutz of the Bi-County Insurance Agency in Biggsville.  Good luck this week, Todd!  Here's hoping you bring the Claret Jug back to Henderson County one more time. 

Orion Fireworks Festival and Parade

(June 30, 2005 - Orion, IL) Svea Mutual will be featuring a float this Saturday, July 2nd, in the lighted parade during the annual Orion Fireworks Festival.  The parade kicks off at dusk, with a fireworks display immediately following at Orion High School. 

The St. Paul Lutheran Church will have a pork chop dinner starting at 5:00 pm, and the Orion Community Band will be the entertainment.

We'd love to see you out in Orion this Saturday!  Stop out and say hello, meet the Svea staff, and enjoy the parade and fireworks show. 

Agents Advisory Meeting Held April 27th, 2005

Your new Agents Advisory Committee met on Wednesday, April 27th.  The following topics were discussed:

Svea Mutual presented a video presentation concerning our inspection program, showing various risks we’ve inspected in recent months, and also trying to familiarize the committee with exactly what the company is looking at when we’re on an inspection.

With regard to late fees and reinstatement fees—after feedback from the committee, Svea Mutual is considering implementing one or both of these.

The issue of Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT) came up and Svea Mutual will be exploring this in the coming months. 

Your Agents Advisory Committee is as follows:

Lynn Bowman, Bowman Insurance
Mike Hepner, Hepner Insurance
Steve Killey, Citizens Insurance Services (Roseville)
Tammy Pelz, The Pelz Agency
Larry Wang, Cover Insurance
Diana Doran, Doran Insurance & Services, Inc.

Our next meeting will be in October, please contact any member of the Advisory Committee with concerns, questions, or new things you’d like to see discussed at our next Advisory Meeting.