Anchor Certified Planners Group hits 25 years, plans expansion

Ormond Beach Observer
Business

Anchor Certified Planners Group Inc. is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in Ormond Beach this month by closing on a new, larger location.

BY MIKE CAVALIERE | ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Bill Grigat’s Anchor Certified Planners Group Inc. will celebrate its 25^th anniversary this month, at its 1259 W. Granada Blvd. office. But the company won’t be there for long.

At the end of September, Grigat expects to close on a new location, at 1395 W. Granada Blvd., the old Vin’Yard building. Before the company relocates, though, there’s work to be done.

Grigat plans to replace the building’s roof and air conditioning, install stone siding on the exterior and add offices inside. The move will increase Anchor Certified Planners’ square footage from about 1,700 to 2,500, which Grigat says will give employees some much-needed “elbow room.”

For most of Achor Certified’s 25 years, it's gotten a majority of its business from new area residents, Grigat said. But when the recession hit, the business couldn’t rely on that like it used to. Grigat began counting more and more on referrals.

“About 80% of what we do is referral-based,” he said. The rest is marketing — the company just bought an ad on the side of a bus in Ormond Beach.

And the word-of-mouth-based system has been working. The company opened a Port Orange office two years ago. It’s also up to 10 employees, after starting back in 1988 with just one. And once the economy gets a bit stronger, Grigat hopes to reopen an office in Palm Coast, as well.

Working alongside Grigat is his daughter, Carrie Harmon, who’s been with the company about 12 years, and her husband, Richard, who’s been there seven years.

Call 615-7526, or visit billgrigat.com.

The newbies

Anchor Certified Planners Group Inc., at 1259 W. Granada Blvd., also recently hired two new employees, both Ormond Beach residents.

Colin Gray is a Mainland High School graduate and received his bachelors degree from the University of South Florida in 2009. After joining the firm in 2011, he is currently working as a financial representative while also studying for additional designations within financial planning.

Laurie Taylor is originally from Michigan, attended Michigan State University and graduated from Kellogg Community College summa cum laude. She left behind careers in travel and emergency communications to move to Florida in 2005. She is also currently studying for additional financial-planning designations.