Risk & Business Magazine JGS Insurance Magazine Spring 2019 | Page 3

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
LEFT: SAM HAGER, KEN HAGER, VINNIE HAGER (1996)
RIGHT: KEN HAGER, VINNIE HAGER (2018)
100 Years!
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
O
ne hundred years ago in 1919,
Isadore “Izzy” Jacobson and
Morris Goldfarb, two gentlemen
from Perth Amboy, New Jersey,
decided to get together and form
a combined Insurance and Real Estate firm.
It was called Jacobson & Goldfarb. Later they
brought on two additional partners, Norman
Tanzman and Danny Scott and eventually
split into two companies: Jacobson, Goldfarb
& Scott (JGS Insurance) and Jacobson,
Goldfarb & Tanzman (JGT Commercial Real
Estate). One hundred years later, the third
generation of Hagers has joined JGS and we
are celebrating our 100-year anniversary
in 2019! A monumental achievement by all
standards.
One hundred years brings about an immense
amount of change. It has turned societies
into cities and a dollar into a fortune. Entire
empires have risen and fallen. It was less than
100 years ago that the most popular means
of travel was a horse, and you wouldn’t have
been able to find a stiff drink anywhere in
the country due to Prohibition. Even more
outlandish was the fact that women had not
yet been given the right to vote. This would
occur a year later.
Here we are today, flying from coast to
coast, communicating freely across the globe
using only a small device in our pockets,
and drinking to our heart’s content. More
notable is that we, as the human race, show
no signs of slowing our progress. New
technologies such as artificial intelligence
and automation are gaining incredible
amounts of momentum. It’s not unreasonable
to believe we will soon be surrounded by
self-driving vehicles, individual air travel, and
A.I. assistants in our homes. At this point,
companies like Amazon have robots picking,
packing, and shipping the vast majority of
their items sold worldwide, so change is here
and it’s huge. Historically, there are those that
deal well with change and those that do not.
Reading the names below in hindsight, you
can see who was willing to change and thrive
as well as who wasn’t.
Failed companies - Concrete in old methods
with old products and/or services
• Woolworth’s
• WorldCom
• Lehman Brothers
• Washington Mutual
• Blockbuster 1985-2010
•
Coca Cola
• JM Smucker
• Target
• JC Penny
• UPS
• Neiman Marcus
• Boeing
• Nikon
Vinnie Hager, President
JGS Insurance est. 1919
JGSINSURANCE.COM
Arthur Andersen
•
• Kodak 1889-2012 •
•
General Electric
Toys “R” Us 1948-2017 Eastern Air
•
• Recognizing market shifts, analyzing trends,
and most importantly acting is of the utmost
importance. At JGS, we pride ourselves in our
ability to stay agile and progressive no matter
what direction the industry shifts. After 100
years, we are stronger than ever. We have
maintained our focus and have become the
largest independently owned agency in the
state of New Jersey. The insurance landscape
is full of national brokerage houses making
countless acquisitions, but here at JGS, we
intend to grow and evolve to serve our clients
better each day. Let’s celebrate together for
our 100th year of success and here’s to 100
more.
•
•
Progressive companies - Always embracing
change and always relevant
Polaroid 1937-2001
Borders 1971-2011
Tower Records 1960-2004
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