ERA Rutherford acquires Jones |amp| Co.

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Jerry Rutherford of ERA Rutherford Realtors is gobbling up the competition. |ret||ret||tab|

In a three-month span, Ruth-erford has purchased two long-time Springfield Realty companies Rand Holland Realtors Inc. and Jones & Co. Realtors and more than doubled the number of agents in his ERA franchise.|ret||ret||tab|

"In the normal course of conducting business, we discovered that there was a possibility that we could do something together," Rutherford said of his re-cent acquisitions. |ret||ret||tab|

The purchase of Rand Hol-land Realtors on Oct. 17 added another 10 or so agents to the group.|ret||ret||tab|

The latest deal, with Jones & Co. on Jan. 10, created ERA Jones & Co. Its owner for the past 35 years, Jim C. Jones, will stay with the company as a consultant for at least the next six months.|ret||ret||tab|

Rutherford said ERA had 60 agents at the time of the Jones purchase, and with the addition of Jones' nearly 75 agents, there are now about 135 agents company-wide.|ret||ret||tab|

The acquisitions have created a new entity for Rutherford: JWR Enterprises of Missouri Inc. Rutherford said that corporation encompasses three offices in Springfield, one in Ozark and one in Re-public.|ret||ret||tab|

The Springfield office at 3322 S. Campbell Ave. will continue to operate as ERA Rutherford Realtors, as will the former Rand Holland Realtors office at 1927 S. Glenstone. |ret||ret||tab|

The previous Jones & Co. offices at 1555 S. Glenstone and 1158 W. Jackson in Ozark will be called ERA Jones & Co.|ret||ret||tab|

"As of today I'm still going to operate as ERA Rutherford Realtors," Ruther-ford said. "But that could change over time, because in checking with the Mis-souri Real Estate Commission, I could operate any number of offices under any number of names. They can all be operated under this one canopy, this one corporation," he added, referring to the newly formed JWR Enterprises of Mis-souri Inc.|ret||ret||tab|

Both Realtors said they were not actively looking to sell until discussions began with Rutherford.|ret||ret||tab|

"He was interested in the company and it was probably getting about the time that I should be thinking about selling," Jones said. "I had not given it any thought until he approached me."|ret||ret||tab|

According to Jones, he started his company 35 years ago with about a dozen employees and it has grown to nearly 100 today. He said that several people have approach him over the years about purchasing the company, but he was not interested at those times.|ret||ret||tab|

"Jerry is a fine individual, and I'm sure that he'll be able to take the company even farther than I have," Jones said.|ret||ret||tab|

Rutherford said he pursued Jones & Co. because of its solid reputation.|ret||ret||tab|

"You don't find a company with more history in town," Rutherford said. "You're always looking at the people that are there that are high quality, results-oriented, ethical those kinds of people. And that's the definition of Jones."|ret||ret||tab|

The sale of Holland's company was a little bit different due to an illness almost two years ago. He said his company had maintained about 35 agents since its beginning in 1982, but that number be-gan to dwindle after his hospitalization.|ret||ret||tab|

"I thought I was still young at 85 that's when I got sick," the 87-year-old Holland said. "Jerry and I talked and I said, That's a nice gentleman, and that's the kind (of person) I want to sell to if I sell at all.' I didn't even try to sell it, actually."|ret||ret||tab|

After some early talks with Ruther-ford, Holland said he went to his attorney and CPA for advice. "They told me (Rutherford) is one of the brightest and finest men you'll ever find.' That was good enough for me," Holland said.|ret||ret||tab|

Holland is now retired and feeling well, he said.|ret||ret||tab|

"It was a good business for me," he said. "You meet a lot of good people along the way." And Rutherford is one of them, he added.|ret||ret||tab|

Rutherford said the purchase amounts are confidential.|ret||ret||tab|

Along with the acquisitions, changes in technology also are under way for Rutherford's company. |ret||ret||tab|

"My emphasis is on technology and making sure that agents have the ability to conduct their business in a very easy and efficient way that requires basically very few trips to the office," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Rutherford said they have been using a new system, called Citrix Systems, that allows agents to connect into the client database network via the Internet.|ret||ret||tab|

"The Citrix system lets agents all over the world access it, basically," he said. "They could be on vacation in Hawaii and still be able to go in and work on their databases."|ret||ret||tab|

Furthermore, Rutherford said, extensive training is available for ERA agents online.|ret||ret||tab|

"ERA has a substantial online training for agents through what's called e-campus where there are courses for people to earn Realtor designations to help make them proficient at what they do and more knowledgeable," he said. "Part of the development of the high-technology end of the business is to make sure that we can expand and have the tools available for people who are farther away than just Springfield." |ret||ret||tab|

Rutherford's agents are part of the Greater Springfield Area Multilist Service that includes Greene, Christian and Webster counties.|ret||ret||tab|

While residential real estate is his company's focus, Rutherford said he is looking into commercial real estate and property management. "We want to grow that business," he said. "I'm always looking."|ret||ret||tab|

Rutherford has owned the ERA franchise here since 1997. The company's headquarters are in Parsippany, N.J., and there are more than 28,000 ERA brokers and sales associates worldwide. ERA Franchises Systems Inc. includes more than 2,600 offices. [[In-content Ad]]