Washburn and Wilson Agency Joins The Richards Group

The Richards Group is pleased to announce that it has acquired the Washburn and Wilson Agency of Bethel, Vermont. The partnership with The Richards Group will benefit clients by ensuring that decisions and service remain local for years to come, while expanding client services and resources. Washburn and Wilson’s staff will remain at their current office, located at 246 Main Street in Bethel, VT.

“It means a lot to us that Melvin and Matt Washburn felt The Richards Group was the best fit to continue the excellent work that the Washburn and Wilson Agency has done for nearly 20 years,” said Drew Richards, Vice President of The Richards Group. “Their roots in Vermont are strong, just like ours. We’re excited to make this investment in the greater Bethel community and continue the Washburn and Wilson legacy with all of their clients throughout the region and beyond.”

“When we considered what firm was best for our clients, employees and the community, we knew The Richard Group was the right fit. They are based in Vermont, locally owned, and we have similar priorities and values,” commented Matt Washburn, Co-Owner of Washburn & Wilson. “Our clients will benefit from the new insurance markets and technologies that The Richards Group will make available, along with their employee benefit and retirement plan consulting expertise.”

The Richards Group has made a considerable commitment to serve the needs of communities throughout central Vermont, with acquisitions in Rutland, Middlebury, Norwich, Springfield and Bethel.

The Richards Group, headquartered in Brattleboro, Vermont, has provided local Insurance, Wealth Management, Retirement Plan and Employee Benefits solutions to clients throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts since 1867. In addition, TRG offers consulting services to help employers with Safety, Wellness, Human Resources, Compensation Analysis, Recruiting and Fiduciary Stewardship. The firm has over 160 employees in 12 locations and has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” in each of the past 9 years by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. TRG Investment Advisors, LLC dba TRG Retirement Plan Consultants is a Registered Investment Adviser.

The Richards Group Welcomes Dan Lyons and Susan Loynd, Expands Human Resources Consulting Practice

September 2024 (Burlington, VT) - The Richards Group is pleased to announce the addition of Dan Lyons and Susan Loynd to its Total Rewards Team. Dan will lead the Human Resources consulting practice and work with clients throughout the region.

“After listening to the needs of our clients, we decided that now is the time to develop a new range of HR consulting services to better respond to the HR challenges facing employers in our region,” said Tom Scull, Principal and Vice President of the firm. “The Richards Group is thrilled to have Dan and Susan join our Total Rewards Team, as they both bring a level of expertise and genuine client-centric focus that aligns with our organization’s values.”

Dan brings a valuable background to The Richards Group and will add Executive Recruiting and Fractional HR to TRG’s well-established Leadership Development, Human Resources, and Compensation consulting capabilities. In addition to consulting, Dan’s past experiences include Vice President of Human Resources positions for Boston-based companies and working as a Senior Human Resources Business Partner for Amazon. Dan holds a B.S. in Business Management from Texas State University, is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and is a military veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force. Dan has worked in the greater Burlington, VT community since 2019. Dan can be reached at (802) 556-1167 or by email at dlyons@therichardsgrp.com.

“I’m proud and honored to surround myself with a team at The Richards Group that has a steadfast focus on delivering excellence, and who will always do the right thing for our clients,” commented Dan Lyons. “Above all, our team puts in the effort to establish and maintain meaningful relationships and delivers work that will address the most pervasive HR challenges facing employers in Vermont and New Hampshire.”

Dan will lead a team of HR consultants that includes Susan Loynd, who was recently hired as part of this expansion, as well as Ross Gibson, former Director of the Vermont State Council of SHRM, and David Twitchell, SHRM-SCP, CCP, CBP.

Susan joined the firm as a Strategic HR Business Advisor and brings with her many years of specialized knowledge in Human Resources, which will play a vital role in helping employers navigate organizational changes and improve their work environment. Susan is originally from the Boston area, and currently resides in Fayston, Vermont. She attended the University of Vermont and the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. She began her career in Finance, Administration & Human Resources with Northern Power Systems, Inc. as a Controller and Senior Manager. After several years, she left Northern Power to work as Director of Administration & Human Resources at Washington County Mental Health Services, where she has spent the past twenty plus years, prior to joining The Richards Group. In addition to her impressive work resume, Susan serves as an instructor for several universities in Vermont and teaches for SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) both statewide and nationally. Her courses specialize in SHRM certification prep and HR Management. Susan can be reached at (800) 222 - 6016 or by email at sloynd@therichardsgrp.com.

“I’m excited to transition from being a client to a colleague at The Richards Group” commented Susan Loynd, “and using my expertise and teaching abilities to help clients facing HR and workforce challenges.”

Tom Scull added “Dan and Susan are both well-known and highly respected contributors within our business communities. They bring an energy and level of experience that truly takes our HR Consulting services to the next level. I’m proud of the work that Ross Gibson and Dave Twitchell have done for our clients over the years. We’re excited to see this team already gaining momentum and can’t wait to witness the amazing work they will continue to do for our clients.”

The Richards Group, headquartered in Brattleboro, Vermont, has provided local Insurance and Employee Benefits solutions to clients throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts for decades. The firm currently has over 160 employees, and 11 locations, and has been named

one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” in each of the past 9 years by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The Richards Group has expanded services to include Safety, Wellness and Human Resources consulting.

Amy Burns Recognized with Safeco Award of Excellence

October 2023 (Wilmington, VT) – Amy Burns, Personal Lines Senior Account Manager at The Richards Group in Wilmington, VT has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment to Safeco® Insurance.

This prestigious award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award, the company’s top recognition program. Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions, in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient.

Burns, a resident of Wilmington, joined The Richards Group in 2000. An Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR), Amy is highly qualified to meet the complex insurance challenges facing today’s consumer. She helps The Richards Group deliver customized insurance solutions from many of the country’s finest insurance companies at competitive prices.

“Amy’s expertise, skill and dedication have been a true asset to The Richards Group and our clients,” said Hayley Hill, Personal Lines Manager. “We’re honored to have Amy on our award-winning Personal Lines team.”

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Lawrence and Wheeler Insurance to Join The Richards Group

The Richards Group is pleased to announce that it has acquired Lawrence and Wheeler Insurance of Springfield, VT.  The partnership with The Richards Group will benefit clients by ensuring that decisions and service remain local for years to come, while expanding client services and resources.  Lawrence and Wheeler's staff will remain at their current office located at 46 Main Street in Springfield, Vermont. 

“It means a lot to us that Paul and Bob Kendall felt The Richards Group was the best fit to continue the excellent work that Lawrence and Wheeler has done over many decades,” said Drew Richards, Vice President of The Richards Group.  “Their roots run deep in Vermont with a strong family history, just like ours.  We’re excited to make this investment in the greater Springfield area and to continue to serve this community.” 

“We’ve collaborated with The Richards Group for years now, so when we considered what firm was best for our clients, employees and the community, we knew they were the right fit. The Richards Group is Vermont based and locally owned, and we have similar priorities and values,” commented Paul Kendall, President of Lawrence and Wheeler Insurance. “Our clients will benefit from the new insurance markets and technologies that The Richards Group will make available, along with their employee benefit and retirement plan consulting expertise.”

The Richards Group, headquartered in Brattleboro, Vermont, has provided local Insurance, Retirement Plan and Employee Benefits solutions to clients throughout Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts since 1867.  The firm has over 150 employees in 13 locations and has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont” in each of the past 6 years by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce.  The Richards Group has expanded services to include Safety, Wellness and Human Resources consulting.