Twelve layoffs were announced Wednesday at the Le Mars Insurance Company.

"It was primarily driven by gains in efficiency due to a significant investment in technology," said Jeff Miller, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Donegal Insurance Group in Marietta, Penn., the parent company of Le Mars Insurance.

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That investment, he explained, involved automated underwriting technology that allows employees to interact directly with the company's technology.

The decision to lay off a dozen people was made within the last two months after an analysis was conducted, Miller said.

A tighter national economy wasn't a huge factor in the decision, he stated.

"It's certainly on the back of everyone's minds," he added.

No further layoffs are anticipated, Miller said. Following the layoffs, 36 people are employed at the Le Mars company.

"We're very committed to continuing business in Le Mars and growing in the industry," he said.

Le Mars Insurance Company began in 1901 when a small group of Iowa business owners and farmers formed the German Mutual Insurance Association in Le Mars, according to the company website.

The company went through several name and ownership changes until, in 2004, it became the Le Mars Insurance Company, a member of the Donegal Insurance Group. The affiliation with Donegal Insurance Group dated back to 2002.