Dartmouth Midday

Jack Churchill is the owner of OTC Insurance Brokers Inc., an independent insurance broker representing clients in Nova Scotia since 1984. OTC is a one-stop insurance broker able to supply competitive quotes for all types of insurance, including commercial/business insurance as well as home, auto, marine and travel.It is OTC’s objective to save you as much money as possible while supplying you with the most comprehensive coverage. “We will earn your business on value and retain it on trust.”One of the things that separate OTC from other insurance brokers is claims advocacy. If a claim isn’t being settled reasonably, OTC will intervene on your behalf and make sure that it is. This has even meant flying to London, England to fight on a client’s behalf.In August 2009, Jack saved a client $25,000 on their insurance policy (a savings of approximately 25 per cent). When asked how this was done, Jack said, “We know Nova Scotians want the lowest price possible with the best coverage available. We negotiate hard for our clients in premium savings and when advocating their claims with insurers.”Our staff has high credentials and is well respected within the insurance industry, allowing us to be more effective for our clients.Call us and let us audit your insurance premiums against your coverage. We will tell you quite quickly if we are able to save you money. We also provide a menu of value-added services at no additional charge that clients select from to establish a service strategy which we guarantee.

Jeffrey Doyle is the owner and president of Smiledog, a remote reception service company.Do you remember the days of when you called a company and actually spoke with a live voice? If you long for those days, Smiledog can help.Smiledog is not a traditional answering service. It is a team of highly trained receptionists that love to answer clients’ phones. At Smiledog, every call is answered with a smile.Whether your company is looking to cut back on reception costs and not sacrifice quality or if you’re a company that needs some part-time helping answering calls, Smiledog can help.Call Smiledog at (902)576-3555 or e-mail info@smiledog.ca for a complimentary chat to see if you are a fit. You will get a live and friendly voice.If the partnership makes sense, Smiledog will offer you a two-week trial to see if the service is right for you.

Zdenko Juric is a certified home inspector with Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections. If you’re buying or selling a home, contact Zdenko. Known for his professionalism and dedication to his clients, customers can rest assured that nothing is overlooked. All inspections include a report which is sent to them on the same day as the inspection. This report provides a thorough analysis of the state of the home, as well as pictures of areas or defects which should be of concern.Zdenko encourages his clients to be present for the inspection so that they may ask any questions that come to mind. He is always available by telephone or e-mail to communicate with his clients.He is an active supporter of the Missing Children’s Society of Canada.

Randy Locke has over 30 years experience in the lending industry and 20 of those have been with The Mortgage Centre. Randy works with all types of clients, from first time homebuyers to people renewing their mortgage and ensures they get the best mortgage for their situation. Randy works with multiple lenders to make this happen.Randy prides himself on the service he and The Mortgage Centre are able to provide. “I believe our service is number one in the mortgage industry today,” he says.

Mike Maheux is the owner of Minuteman Press – Dartmouth and Halifax, a commercial printing franchise. Minuteman prides itself on servicing its clients’ needs beyond their expectations.Minuteman’s printing services include traditional things, such as business cards, brochures, business forms, letterhead, envelopes and presentation folders. Minuteman is the only local manufacturer of business cheques – both manual and computer cheques compatible with Simply Accounting, QuickBooks and all other accounting software programs. Minuteman can also produce posters, banners and small signage for its clients.The level of service is what distinguishes Minuteman from its competitors. Clients are often encouraged to meet with Gord either at their office or his to further discuss the print requirement. Once the job has been completed, Minuteman will deliver the job to you with no delivery charges. Minuteman stands behind the quality of its product and will reprint any job that the client feels does not meet the expected level of quality with no questions asked.Minuteman helps clients grow their businesses by creating, printing and distributing promotional material, such as flyers, brochures or postcards. With in-house graphic designers, Minuteman can start from a simple idea and transform this into a fully designed brochure. Minuteman offers Canada Post mailing services to assist its clients in targeting geographical areas to distribute the brochures with the goal of increasing the marketing return.Minuteman helps give back to the community with print contributions. Minuteman is the major sponsor at annual events for Feed Nova Scotia, the Canadian Liver Foundation, Sport Nova Scotia and St. John Ambulance Society.

Michael G. Melenchuk is the director of sales and marketing with Hearthstone Hospitality Group, a Nova Scotia company with over 150 employees. With businesses in retail, food service and accommodations, Hearthstone owns and operates four hotel properties in Nova Scotia: Quality Inn Mic Mac in Dartmouth, Quality Inn Sydney, Econo Lodge MacPuffin in Port Hawkesbury and the Hearthstone Inn in Port Hawkesbury.The properties are conveniently located and offer a full list of services, including restaurants, lounges, fitness and business centres.  Hearthstone provides the Maritime business traveller with excellent service and hospitality at an affordable corporate rate. For that reason, many of Hearthstone’s business guests return year after year. They often tell Michael it’s like coming home every time they visit a Hearthstone property.Active in his community, Michael sits on the board for the Lifesaving Society of Nova Scotia and also volunteers his time for the sport development of lifesaving in Nova Scotia. Michael also does occupational health and safety training in his spare time.

Michael Sifnakis is a financial planner with Investors Group. He identifies opportunities for individuals and businesses to make their current resources work harder to give them a better standard of living now and in the future. He also helps clients identify risks and helps them protect against such risks.His clients praise him for the strategies he develops that they never knew were available.Michael loves sports and spending time with his young (and growing) family.