By Frank Lewis

[email protected]

Veterans Financial Group LLC, located across from Glockner Honda-Toyota on U.S. Route 23 in Portsmouth, is looking to hire 50 to 100 people, with an emphasis on veterans.

“We’re a financial services company,” Robert Hicks, managing partner and president, said. “Nick (Goodwin) and I are a couple of veterans and we have a lot of veterans who work for us. We handle Medicare, life insurance, dental, vision, as well as underage insurance for people that are not 65. We also do all kinds of cost procurement and wellness programs.

“Our goal is to hire as many veterans as possible. We’ve become the national call center for VIPCO (Video Instant Picture Company), which is a national company and an international company. So, we’re in the process of hiring anywhere from 50 to 100 people as quickly as possible to help.”

Those wishing to get information on applying for a job can call the VFG office at 740-529-1250.

Hicks said veterans are often overlooked when it comes to jobs.

“Veterans are coming back from overseas, from Iraq, getting overlooked because they have health issues,” Hicks said.

“People think they have a PTSD stigma,” Goodwin, managing partner and CEO, said. “I’m a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, Bobby is a veteran of the Cold War Era. I did 12 years in Army Special Operations. Bobby was a Navy Seal, so veterans are obviously close to our hearts. We arranged this deal with two fellow veterans who are majority owners in VIPCO Advisors.”

Goodwin said with the upturn in the insurance market, VIPCO needed a call center, and both Hicks and Goodwin were executives at a Fortune 1000 insurance company, so they received the contract.

Hicks said the company’s goal is to serve the local community first but, being a national call center, they will be calling nationally. He said all types of people need their services.

“Seniors especially that are just getting on to Medicare, a lot of them have questions and they’re having to reach out to national companies to try and get answers,” Hicks said. “Unfortunately, a lot of people have their hands tied. They only represent one company, like AARP and United Health Care, while we have AARP and United Health Care, as well as several other companies, so we can get what best fits that senior for what they’re looking for.”

Hicks said even if people just need their questions answered, they can call their office and their questions will be answered.

“Southern Ohio needs jobs,” Goodwin said. “I grew up here my whole life and I had the space here because I have other businesses, so we got it here.”

Goodwin made their hiring practices clear.

“We’re not only just hiring veterans, obviously anyone who needs a job (can apply), but we specialize in veterans. As anyone can see, we have that culture,” he said.

The staff recites the Pledge of Allegiance every day at 10 a.m., standing outside in front of the American flag.

“I’m big on patriotism. So is Bobby,” Goodwin said. “I’ve seen a lot of good young kids unfortunately pass, and I think (patriotism) is going away in America so, every day, we start with the pledge. It’s a good, family-oriented company.”

Reach Frank Lewis at 740-353-3101, ext. 1928, or on Twitter @franklewis.

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