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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.43
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                              --------------------

     This Employment Agreement is made on April 1, 2000, between HARDEN &
COMPANY INSURANCE SERVICES INC. AKA Harden Group, and all subsidiaries
("Employer"), and THOMAS O. HEDFORD ("Executive").

                                    RECITALS
                                    --------

     A. Executive is and has been employed by Employer or its predecessor
company for more than five (5) years. Through such experience, he has acquired
outstanding and special skills and abilities and an extensive background in and
knowledge of Employer's business and the industry in which it is engaged.

     D. Employer desires assurance of the continued association and services of
Executive in order to retain his experience, skill, abilities, background and
knowledge, and is therefore willing to engage his services on the terms and
conditions set forth below.

     E. Executive desires to continue in the employ of Employer and is willing
to do so on those terms and conditions.

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the above recitals and of the mutual
promises and conditions in this Agreement, it is agreed as follows:

                              TERMS AND CONDITIONS
                              --------------------

     1.   Duties and Authority. Employer shall employ Executive as President,
          --------------------
Sales & Marketing of Employer. Executive's position as President, Sales &
Marketing is to remain in effect until changes are deemed necessary and approved
by action of the Employer.

     2.   Outside Business Activities. During his employment, Executive shall
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devote his full energies, interest, abilities and productive time to the
performance of this Agreement and shall not, without Employer's prior written
consent, render to others services of any kind for compensation, or engage in
any other business activity that would materially interfere with the performance
of his duties under this Agreement.

     3.   Covenant Not to Compete During Employment Term. During the employment
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term, Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, whether as a partner,
employee, creditor, shareholder or otherwise, promote, participate in or engage
in any activity or other business competitive with Employer's business.

     4.   Term of Employment. Subject to earlier termination as provided in this
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Agreement, Executive shall be employed beginning April 1, 2000 and ending March
31, 2002. Executive's compensation and benefits described under Section 6,
below, shall begin on April 1, 2000 and shall be prorated as necessary.

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     5.   Place of Employment.  Unless the parties agree otherwise in writing
          -------------------
during the employment term, Executive shall perform the services he is required
to perform under this Agreement at Employer's offices, located at 111 S.W.
Columbia, Suite 600, Portland, Oregon, provided, however, that Employer may from
time to time require Executive to travel temporarily to other locations on
Employer's business.

     6.   Executive's Compensation and Benefits.
          -------------------------------------

          (a)  Basic Salary. Employer shall pay a basic salary to Executive at a
               ------------
rate of $125,000 per year, payable on a semi-monthly basis, effective March 15,
2000. The basic salary payable to Executive under this Section 6(a) shall be
subject to increases based upon the personal performance of Executive and the
business performance of Employer as determined by periodic reviews and
evaluations to be conducted at least annually.

          (b)  Incentive Compensation. In addition to the basic salary provided
               ----------------------
for in Section 6(a) above, Employer shall pay to Executive as incentive
compensation a bonus up to $35,000 annually based on the following weighted
criteria:

          1/2  Annual 2000 revenue * $11,000,000; thereafter annual internal
               revenue growth greater than 10%; and

          1/2  Discretionary - based on customer retention; gross sales margins
               and new business and product development.

          (c)  Stock Options. In addition to the basic salary and incentive
               -------------
compensation, and as recognition of the contribution that Executive has made to
Employer, Employer shall grant to Executive additional stock options to acquire
no less than 100,000 shares of Anchor common stock pursuant to the Anchor
Pacific Underwriters, Inc. 1994 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). Executive's
Stock Option grant under the Plan shall be priced at 100% of the market price of
Employer's common stock on the date of grant. Executive's stock option under the
Plan shall become vested for exercise in annual increments of twenty five
percent (25%) of the shares subject to the option with the first increment
vesting on the first anniversary of the date of grant and shall be for a ten
(10) year term.

          (d)  Additional Benefits.  During the employment term, Executive shall
               -------------------
be entitled to receive all other benefits of employment generally available to
Employer's other executive and managerial employees when and as he becomes
eligible for them, including group health benefits, dental insurance, life
insurance (at three (3) times salary), and four (4) weeks of annual paid
vacation. Executive's vacation benefits shall be subject to Employer's policies
on limitations on accruing vacation time.

                                      -2-

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          (e)  Expenses. During the employment term, Employer shall reimburse
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Executive for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in relation to
Employer's business, including all travel expenses, food and lodging while away
from home, subject to documentation to be submitted at least monthly and such
other policies as Employer may from time to time reasonably establish for its
employees.

          (f)  Automobile Allowance. During the employment term, Employer shall
               --------------------
furnish to Executive an automobile allowance of $700 per month as an alternative
to any other automobile travel expense otherwise payable under company policy.

     7.   Employer's Ownership of Intangibles. All processes, inventions,
          -----------------------------------
patents, copyrights, trademarks and other intangible rights that may be
conceived or developed by Executive, either alone or with others, during the
term of Executive's employment, whether or not conceived or developed during
Executive's working hours, and with respect to which the equipment, supplies,
facilities or trade secret information of Employer was used, or that relate to
the business of Employer or to Employer's actual or demonstrably anticipated
research and development, or that result from any work performed by Executive
for Employer, shall be the sole property of Employer. Executive shall disclose
to Employer all inventions conceived during the term of employment, whether or
not the property of Employer under the terms of the preceding sentence, provided
that such disclosure shall be received by Employer in confidence. Executive
shall execute all documents, including patent applications and assignments,
required by Employer to establish Employer's rights under this Section.

     8.   Indemnification by Employer. Employer shall, to the maximum extent
          ---------------------------
permitted by law, indemnify and hold Executive harmless against expenses,
including reasonable attorneys' fees, judgments, fines, settlements and other
amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with a proceeding arising
by reason of Executive's employment by Employer or any of its direct or indirect
subsidiaries. Employer shall advance to Executive any expenses incurred in
defending such proceeding to the maximum extent permitted by law.

     9.   Termination of Agreement.
          ------------------------

          (a)  Termination for Cause. Employer may terminate this Agreement at
               ---------------------
any time without notice if Executive commits any material act of dishonesty,
discloses confidential information, is guilty of gross carelessness or
misconduct, or unjustifiably neglects his duties under this Agreement. In the
event Executive is terminated for cause under this Section 9(a), he shall be
paid his basic salary due under Section 6(a) through the date of his
termination, all rights under Section 6(b) shall be lost.

          (b)  Termination on Resignation. Executive may terminate this
               --------------------------
Agreement by giving Employer two (2) months' prior written notice of his
resignation. In the event Executive resigns under this Section 9(b), on the date
of termination he shall be entitled to receive two(2) months' basic salary due
under Section 6(a), and any bonus due under Section 6(b) will be prorated
through the date of his resignation.

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          (c)  Termination on Death. If Executive dies during the initial term
               --------------------
or during any renewal terms of this Agreement, this Agreement shall be
terminated on the last day of the calendar month of his death. In the event
Executive dies, he or his estate shall be entitled to the basic salary due under
Section 6(a) through the end of the month in which his death occurs, and any
bonus due under Section 6(b) shall be prorated through the end of the month in
which is death occurs.

     10.  Effect of Combination or Dissolution. This Agreement shall not be
          ------------------------------------
terminated by Employer's voluntary or involuntary dissolution or by any merger
in which Employer is not the surviving or resulting corporation, or on any
transfer of all or substantially all of Employer's assets. In the event of any
such merger or transfer of assets, the provisions of this Agreement shall be
binding on and inure to the benefit of the surviving business entity or the
business entity to which such assets shall be transferred.

     11.  Disclosure of Confidential Information and Trade Secrets Prohibited.
          -------------------------------------------------------------------
In the course of his employment, Executive may have access to confidential
information and trade secrets relating to Employer's business. Except as
required in the course of his employment by Employer, Executive will not,
without Employer's prior consent, either during his employment by Employer of
for three (3) years after termination of this employment, directly or
indirectly, disclose to any third person any such confidential information or
trade secrets.

     12.  Disclosure of Customer Information and Solicitation of Other Employees
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Prohibited. In the course of his employment, Executive will have access to
----------
confidential records and data pertaining to Employer's customers and to the
relationship between these customers and Employer's employees. Such information
is considered secret and is disclosed to Executive in confidence. During his
employment by Employer and for three (3) years after termination of that
employment, Executive shall not directly or indirectly, disclose or use any such
information, except as required in the course of his employment by Employer. In
addition, for three (3) years after termination of his employment, Executive
shall not induce or attempt to induce any employee of Employer to discontinue
employment with Employer for the purpose of employment with any competitor of
Employer.

     13.  Payment Upon Termination of Permanent Disability. Notwithstanding any
          ------------------------------------------------
provision of this Agreement, if Employer terminates this Employment Agreement
for any reason other than cause or Executive becomes permanently disabled or
unable to perform his duties as President, Employer shall pay Executive (i) an
amount equal to nine (9) months' basic salary due under Section 6(a), at
Executive's then current rate of compensation; (ii) any accrued, but unpaid,
bonus due under Section 6(b); and (iii) for a period of nine months, all
benefits, including the automobile allowance described in Section 6(f), to which
Executive would otherwise be entitled had the Agreement not been so terminated.
If Executive is permanently disabled, any obligations under this Section 13
shall be reduced, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, by any disability insurance
payments made to Executive during the nine (9) month period.

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     14.  Miscellaneous Provisions.
          ------------------------

          (a)  Integration. This Agreement contains the entire agreement between
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the parties and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements,
understandings, commitments and practices between the parties, including all
prior employment agreements, whether or not fully performed by Executive before
the date of this Agreement. No amendments to this Agreement may be made except
by mutual consent and in writing signed by both parties.

          (b)  Choice of Law.  The formation, construction, and performance of
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this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
California.

          (c)  Notices. Any notice to Employer required or permitted under this
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Agreement shall be given in writing by Executive, either by personal service or
by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed to Employer at its
then principal place of business. Any such notice to Executive shall be given in
a like manner and, if mailed, shall be addressed to Executive at his home
address then known in Employer's files. For the purpose of determining
compliance with any time limit in this Agreement, a notice shall be deemed to
have been duly given (i) on the date of service, if served personally on the
party to whom notice is given, or (ii) on the fifth business day after mailing,
if mailed to the party to whom the notice is to be given in the manner provided
in this Section.

          (d)  Remedies. If either party obtains a judgment against the order by
               --------
reason of breach of this Agreement, a reasonable attorneys' fee as fixed by the
court shall be included in such judgment.

          (e)  Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid
               ------------
or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in
full force and effect. If any provision is held invalid or unenforceable with
respect to particular circumstances, it shall nevertheless remain in full force
and effect in all other circumstances.

     Executed by the parties as of the day and year first above written.

                                     "Employer"
                                     HARDEN & COMPANY INSURANCE SERVICES, INC.,
                                     AKA HARDEN GROUP


                                     By:  /S/ [ILLEGIBLE]
                                        ----------------------------------------


                                     "Executive"


                                     By: /s/ Thomas O. Hedford
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Thomas O. Hedford

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