Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Ted Hugghins, President of Abstract Associates of Iowa, poses in the company’s Fort Dodge office in the Wells Fargo Center, 822 Central Ave., Suite 304. Hugghins has announced his resignation.
Fast, accurate and friendly.
These three words could be used to describe Ted Hugghins.
“His wife Cathy once told us that they would be leaving their work at the same time in the same place, and when she got home he would be there in his deck chair when she came in the door.” said Danielle Michalski with a laugh.
“Ted is definitely ‘quick,’ quick with a new idea or a way to point out something we could do more efficiently, and ‘accurate’ ranks up there too. He spends a lot of time reviewing and reviewing our work and can quickly point out what we need to correct. “ said Michalski.
The mantra, “Fast, accurate and friendly” was also recognized by Abstract Associates of Iowa Inc., founded by Hugghins and his partner Jerry Schnurr III in September 2009 during the height of the 2008 housing debacle. The idea came to friends after Hugghins had previously worked with New York Life and Gunderson Funeral Home.
“Jerry and I were out on his deck together one evening, in late summer 2009, exchanging ideas and having a martini.” Hugghins said. “Jerry said let’s start an abstract company. If you really want to work; Your service and operational background, coupled with your attention to detail, could be a good fit. “
At the time, there was only one abstract company serving Webster County. Jerry and his former attorney partner Jim Fitzgerald had dreamed of an abstract company for over 10 years. Fitzgerald’s father had abstracted at Fort Dodge for over 40 years, and Jerry and Jim wanted to continue his father’s legacy. “
Hugghins replied, “OK, let’s do it!”
The next day, the couple contacted Candy Robinson with NorthCentral Title in Humboldt, who in turn led them to Kathy Vosika, a “Legend” in the abstract and title search.
“It confirmed our enthusiasm, our creativity and our ability to look for a new opportunity.” Hugghins said. “Kathy found time to guide us and later joined our payroll at our Fort Dodge office.”
In addition to Vosika, Carolyn Sandvig was the first abstract associate to join the company.
“She was a typing genius” he said, “It was a very good fit for our company, and she said she had some experience with abstraction. Your high demand for accuracy is still the focus of this business. “
Abstract Associates now has offices in Webster Counties, Calhoun Counties, Wright Counties, and most recently Franklin Counties as Franklin County Abstract Company, a division of Abstract Associates of Iowa, Inc. In addition, the Webster County Home Office has moved to a new, expanded office Room that is still in the Wells Fargo Center on the third floor.
Since its inception in 2009, the company has continued to experience significant growth and continues to be the abstract company of choice for many real estate agents, lawyers, and lenders and the clients they serve.
“This year in particular, we’ve seen a significant increase in our workload. We have always been a company that does our best to serve our customers. Our employees take deadlines and our workload very seriously, and I think that’s what sets our company apart from others in this business. “ Hugghins said. “And what makes our business so successful are the relationships we have built with our customers. This is where “friendly” comes in. I don’t think there is an employee in our office who has no connection with our customers. We really care about them and the work they have to do. “
Accuracy in the abstraction business can make or break a deal for a landowner, and Hugghins knows that is the constant goal and driving force. This accuracy has been at the heart of many aspects, including the advancement of modern digital title search products aimed at making abstracting faster than ever.
“Our employees strive for perfection in this business, it is a key factor in land transfer. Even a misplaced comma can change everything. “ Huggins said “We take this very seriously and have optimized our process over time to ensure that we deliver the most accurate quality product possible.”
After spending nearly 12 years building a successful abstract company, Hugghins made the decision to retire.
“I wanted to wait until I was 70 and I could maximize social security. Men in my family were fortunate enough to live well into their 90s. I’ve always thought and planned about retirement. The kids graduated from college, got married, and started developing their family life and future. “ Huggins said “I married the love of my life and now we can do some of the things we talked about. There comes a time when you just feel like you need to “get out of the way.” I see the good things happening here. Every employee works hard every day to improve in our profession. They “own their work” as if it were their company. I’m very proud. Our company is in good hands. “
However, Hugghin’s work history at Fort Dodge did not begin with Abstract Associates.
His longest career in the community has been serving as the branch manager of our local JCPenney.
“As the local Penney manager, this community has hugged me and my young family with open arms.” Huggins said “I quickly got a seat on the former Chamber of Commerce Board, which in turn grew into the Greater Fort Dodge Area Growth Alliance, to which I currently serve as an ambassador. I also served on the United Way board of directors, serving in the Noon Rotary Club and managing the Crossroads Mall. I am currently also active in our lively church family in the First Presbyterian Church and work in the Church Foundation. “
For Hugghins, that was a valuable lesson “Golden Rule.”
“JCPenney began as The Golden Rule Store in 1902, with Matthew 7:12, ‘Do as you let others do them,’ as its motto.” Huggins said “I adopted this scripture-based approach to my business acumen early on, at the age of 16, and to this day I weigh my actions and those of our employees against the ‘golden rule’. This motto has shaped me very much in this current business atmosphere and also personally. “
After so long in the Fort Dodge community, Hugghins has seen a multitude of positive changes.
“The growth in the labs, the cleanup in the community, the growth of Iowa Central and the Lundgren Windfarm Project, these have been some of the biggest changes I’ve seen.” Huggins said “There is so much, I have a whole list. The OHV park and our trail system are some of the hidden gems of our community. The people we win for these amazing places are really something to be proud of. “
Hugghins is a native Texan who grew up in Midland, Texas. He has had a 33 year career at JCPenney through distributed high school education, having worked in a variety of management positions in thirteen (13) different locations for 8 months. He and his wife, Cathy, moved from Wylie, Texas (Dallas area) to Fort Dodge in October 1993 and have three children, son Seth Hugghins (Jaymie) and their son Hudson, a first grandchild, son Luke Hugghins (Lexie) and daughter Hope Hunt (Zac).
As retirement approaches, Hugghins and Schnurr made some changes to the management structure of Abstract Associates, created a board of directors, and appointed Danielle Michalski, CLTP, manager of Abstract Associates of Iowa Inc. and Abby Dorsey, assistant manager.
Hugghins and Schnurr remain the owners of Abstract Associates of Iowa Inc.
“Danielle and Abby both have extensive backgrounds in abstraction, and have both spent a lot of time in training and firsthand experience of the title search business. Additionally, both of them are working hard to expand their knowledge of the business by working directly with our customers to ensure our company continues to grow and change as the industry changes. “ Huggins said “I trust that both will continue to grow; make this company better every day. I can also say at this point that Abstract Associates of Iowa has the most experienced abstractors in all of the districts we serve and that I am incredibly proud of their professionalism and attention to detail. “
“Ted taught me so much in my time as an abstractor and I look forward to growing our company. We still have so much to do and the group of people we have in all of our offices couldn’t be a better group of people to work with. It really makes this journey to lead our team an honor to have. “ said Michalski. “His knowledge not only of land transfer but of all aspects of the economy was really invaluable.”
Michalski holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and psychology from Buena Vista University. She has been a Certified Land Title Professional for 7 years and has been with Abstract Associates since 2012. Michalski lives in Manson and has four children. She will oversee the entire company.
Dorsey joined Abstract Associates in June 2016. She graduated from Iowa Central Community College. Dorsey’s role will focus on the counties outside of Webster. For Dorsey, the challenge of land transfer makes getting to work worthwhile every day.
“This is really a challenging job, but one that I really love. I enjoy being here every day, I’m not sure many people can say that they really have found a job they love. “ said Dorsey.
In addition to Michalski and Dorsey, Abstract Associates has 11 employees and continues to grow.
As Hugghins shifts from normal everyday life to a more relaxed one, he offers this advice to his colleagues and others in our community:
“Visionaries should ask themselves, ‘Can I join our community and those who live here?’ help?” Huggins said “Focus on the details of how you are going to start. Watch the market, ask questions of those you love and trust. Always use a land business broker. Talk to your banker about your dreams. Listen and take notes. “
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