Farm Insurance Company Expands Into Renovated Masonic Temple

Crop Growers Insurance isn’t the most romantic name in the world, but it says it all for one expanding Coeur d’Alene business.

The young company established its western states (governing Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California operations) in the Coeur d’Alene North building two years ago. It had three employees. When the company moves into its new gracious building this summer, it will be up to 20 Coeur d’Alene employees - and growing.

Crop Growers Insurance began just six years ago in Great Falls, Mont., where the company headquarters remains. Last year the company incorporated to become publicly traded; it now has 500 employees and is represented by 7,500 agents in 42 states.

Now, isn’t it fitting that “Growers” is in the name?

“We insure farmers, anything in agriculture,” said Shannon Beckner, Coeur d’Alene office manager. “Our services include a mapping program for planning and keeping records for our clients.”

While this company’s growth and emergence in Coeur d’Alene is big news (company President and CEO John Hemmingson is here because he likes this area), the location of the firm’s new offices is possibly bigger news.

The company’s new Coeur d’Alene home will be the historic Masonic Temple building downtown.

In the past few years the three-story, 15,000-square-foot classical building was extensively restored into the Take Notice Entertainment & Arts Center. Celebrities Nite Club enlivened the grand two-story ball room, which attorney Joe Eisele and Jeanne Eisele lovingly renovated. The arched and carved box-beam ceiling had been damaged by fire years before.

Other features include an open, winding entry staircase, tan brickwork and arched, leaded glass windows with carved casements. Crop Growers evidently is changing the ballroom into two floors of offices.

Although they’re growing, evidently they’re not having a ball.

Speaking of growing: As we grow, we need more fuel, and so we need more fuel stations. Clark Oil of Coeur d’Alene is filling the need in the Post Falls area.

The company’s sixth area cardlock station is at 3060 E. Seltice Way. Using several methods of payment, the cardlock system is affiliated with a nationwide fueling company with a directory of more than 3,400 sites. Clark also has three cardlock stations in Coeur d’Alene and two in Sandpoint, where Dave Clark started the company 48 years ago. The company has been in Coeur d’Alene 14 years.

Clark’s son, Chris Clark, said the company will be dispensing Conoco fuel at the new Highway 41 convenience store under construction at Highway 41 and Poleline Road.

Opening this month, the 2,000-square-foot store will be open 17 hours a day. Tony Poelstra will be managing four or five employees.

Primarily offering “upscale resale clothing,” Reruns for Kids is a new store in Fairgrounds Center, 4055 Government Way, Coeur d’Alene. The space formerly housed Kids Clothing Exchange.

Reruns for Kids owner Jana Talley said the store offers 20 percent new and 80 percent resale clothes for children sizes 0 to 7.

“It’s all clean, name brand and in perfect condition,” she said. Other items include children’s shoes, furniture and toys. A Hayden Lake native, Talley also owns a Reruns store in the Spokane Valley.

Everything was fine until the morning of the third day for Easyway Escrow, which opened late last month in the new 101 Ironwood Drive building.

Unfortunately, the new business lived up to its name with a “easy way” for thieves to accomplish their task - through the ceiling.

New owners Nancy Jo Ward and Gail Rhodehouse thought construction workers in the new complex had broken through the ceiling when they discovered a hole. Then they also discovered telephones, a computer and fax machines were missing.

Easyway provides real estate closing services for buyers and sellers of homes in Kootenai and Bonner counties. Other services include closing services for refinances, home equity lines and creative financing.