Midboard celebrates 20 years
Midboard Financial Services CC, a leading financial services provider in Graaff-Reinet, celebrates 20 successful years this month.
Over the past two decades, Midboard has continually grown its core business to become a one-stop shop in Graaff-Reinet offering financial planning, estate planning, short-term insurance, accounting and taxation as well as bond origination, bank investments and various other services, and is looking forward to what the next 20 years will hold.
Midboard first opened its doors in August 1998 in the GB&G office building on the corner of Somerset and Church Streets.
The company started out small with no more than two members of staff, Andre Olivier and Alecia de Jager.
The professional, confidential and personal manner in which Midboard rendered its services to their clients, resulted in the company expanding at a rapid rate.
To accommodate the business’ growth, new premises were acquired at 68 Bourke Street in 1999 with Marita Olivier joining the staff on 1 March that same year as secretary and personal assistant with the administration of deceased estates.
Marie Geel was then employed as a receptionist and general administration clerk in early 2000 with AC Knott-Craig joining the staff in December 2001 as one of the few Certified Financial Planners.
These offices then soon also became too small and the present building on the corner of Caledon and Stockenstroom Streets was bought.
n John Crankshaw joined the staff on 15 April 2002 to better service the company’s short-term insurance clients.
Evelyn Van Schalkwyk was employed in March 2003 as secretary to AC Knott Craig to assist with insurance and investment administration.
n Laura Knott-Craig then joined Midboard’s staff in November 2007 to aid with short-term insurance, bank facilitation and the like.
Theresa Jacobs rounded off Midboard’s staff complement when she started working there in January 2009.
“Our staff are well qualified and are continually striving to improve their expertise,” says AC Knott-Craig.
Andre Olivier is a member of the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa. He also achieved the Fiduciary Practitioner of South Africa qualification which is the highest qualification for Administration of deceased estates, Estate Planning and Trust Administration.
He has been involved in Estate Planning; Trust Administration and the Administration of Deceased Estates since 1971. He still administers every estate personally and effective in as short a time as possible.
n AC Knott Craig joined Midboard after spending several years with Standard Bank. He is a Certified Financial Planner® with in excess of 20 years’ experience in Financial Planning. He holds an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning (UOFS) which is one of the highest qualifications in the Financial Planning Sector.
He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning as well as a Licentiate and Marketing Diploma. He has been a member of the Financial Planning Institute for 20 years, whose members have to adhere to a code of conduct, ethics and practice standards and all members have to be re-certified annually.
AC deals largely with Long Term Assurance Products, Life Cover Retirement Planning, Investments and Medical Aid.
John Crankshaw has 18 years’ experience in short-term insurance, two years as a surveyor and 14 years with Midboard. John is a qualified Key Individual in short-term insurance.
Laura Knott-Craig joined Midboard after 21 years in the banking industry.
She started off at Midboard by assisting clients with financial facilitation and assistance with bond applications. In 2010 Laura decided to qualify as a Short Term Insurance Broker. She completed a Certificate in Financial Planning in 2012 and is also a qualified Key Individual.
Laura deals with short-term personal and commercial insurance and manages Midboard’ lnvestec Private Bank Corporate Cash Management system, which offers clients very competitive investment rates.
Giving back
To recognise and give back to the community who has supported Midboard for the past 20 years, and the fact that the celebrations coincide with Women’s Month, Midboard’s management decided to gift R20 000 to the company’s female staff members to award to any charitable institutions of their choice.
The Graaff-Reinet SPCA, the ACVV Huis van de Graaff, Boundless (previously known as the Graaff-Reinet Protective Workplace), Church of the New Testament, the Khanyisa Trust and the Methodist Church were identified and the funds recently handed over to them.
“We want to thank all our loyal clients who have supported us over the years,” concluded Olivier. “We have been tried and tested, so feel free to contact us to get the best financial advice, estate planning and all round great service.”
Source: Graaff-Reinet Advertiser – 30 August 2018
