Buchanan at a Glance
Buchanan had 4,300 residents at the 2020 census. These are the facts that shape benefits planning for an employer in the city.
Location and Access
Buchanan sits in the southeast corner of Buchanan Township, about five miles west of Niles, 1.5 miles north of US-12 and 2.3 miles west of US-31. It is about 9.3 miles north of the US-31 interchange on the Indiana Toll Road and about 20 miles east of I-94. The nearest Amtrak stations are Niles and New Buffalo, and South Bend International Airport provides commercial air service.
A Manufacturing Heritage
Clark Equipment Company, which built truck axles, forklifts and loaders, was historically headquartered in Buchanan and left the area in the 1990s. Electro-Voice, a maker of microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers, was also based here. Smaller businesses later occupied former factory buildings, so today’s employers tend to be smaller than the old plants.
Schools
Buchanan Community Schools operates Ottawa and Moccasin elementary schools, Buchanan Middle School and Buchanan High School, and shares the local labor pool with other employers.
Plan Options for a Buchanan Employer
Small groups usually compare a traditional fully insured plan with a level-funded plan, and larger groups can look at self-funding with stop-loss protection. We run each option against your census and claims data and show the tradeoffs side by side. We also review contribution strategy and plan tiers, which often move total cost as much as the carrier does.
Hiring Across the Michigan-Indiana Line
Buchanan employers compete with employers in Niles, South Bend and other nearby Michigan and Indiana towns. A clear benefits package with a simple enrollment process helps keep skilled staff in a labor market that lost a major manufacturer in the 1990s. We check that plan networks reach where your employees live and see doctors, including across the state line.
Compliance Without a Compliance Department
At 50 full-time-equivalent employees an employer becomes an applicable large employer under the ACA, with offer and reporting duties, and a plan generally needs a Form 5500 filing once it passes 100 participants. We track your headcount against those lines so changes are planned in advance. See our Michigan benefits compliance guide for the yearly calendar.
Buchanan, Michigan: Local Background for Employers
Settlement and Naming
Settlers arrived in 1833 where McCoy Creek meets the St. Joseph River. The village was platted in 1842, incorporated in 1858 and named for President James Buchanan.
Landmarks
Pears Mill, a flour mill built in 1857 on McCoy Creek, still stands. Buchanan is known as the Redbud City and has been recognized as a Tree City USA.
Post Office Mural
Gertrude Goodrich painted a mural in the Buchanan post office in 1941 as part of a federal arts project. It was later painted over and is being restored.
What Buchanan Employers Ask
Our staff commute from Indiana. Does that affect our plan?
It can affect provider networks and certain notices. We make sure the network covers where your employees live and see doctors and review state-specific requirements before enrollment.
Do you have an office in Buchanan?
No. Our Michigan office is in Bloomfield Hills, and we serve Buchanan employers by phone, video and on site when needed.
Who will work on our account?
Every account is covered by a team of an account executive, an account manager, a plan analyst, customer service and IT. For proper coverage of an account we work in teams of 5.
Send Us This Year’s Buchanan Renewal
Send the renewal, plan summary, contribution and enrollment by tier, and we will explain the increase and show you what the market offers. 248.370.8853 or info@cfhic.com.
Start the Review Email info@cfhic.com Call 248.370.8853
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