Business Moves

IIAT

Independent insurance agency principals, key personnel and leading industry vendors will gather in Waco, Texas, in mid-October for the second annual Small Agency Conference sponsored by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas.

The conference is scheduled for Oct. 15 and 16 at the Waco Convention Center.

According to the IIAT, last year the first-ever two-day conference drew more than 245 industry professionals. This year’s event is expected to draw more than 300 participants.

So far, more than 40 exhibitors including companies looking for new appointments and MGAs who want to work with smaller agencies have registered for the combined trade show, sales and technical sessions. This conference is specifically targeted at agents who write primarily small accounts regardless of staff size or revenues.

The theme for the Monday, Oct. 14 luncheon is Small Business Trends in Texas and it will feature a top Texas state official as keynote speaker. Detailed information about sessions and online registration are available online at iiat.org.

Sponsors for this year’s conference include: The Republic Group, Ser-vice Lloyds Insur-ance Co., Travelers, Texas Mutual Insur-ance Co., Beacon Insurance Group, National Lloyds In-surance Co. and In-surors Indemnity Co. Source: IIAT

GeoVera; Kemper Auto and Home

In separate announcements, Fairfield, Calif.-based GeoVera Holdings Inc., and Kemper Auto and Home reported they are actively working with Texas producers to help their homeowners customers make the adjustment away from the recently liquidated Texas Select Lloyds Insurance Company.

GeoVera entered the Texas homeowners market in April 2006. The company said it is offering its admitted HO-B homeowners product through “A-” (Excellent) rated insurer, GeoVera Insurance Co. The policies may be quoted and bound online through the company’s agency Web site www.gvhomeowners.
com.

GeoVera’s Texas homeowner’s policy provides all risk coverage for the dwelling and named perils coverage for contents. Texas producers who are not currently appointed by GeoVera Insurance Co. may contact the Marketing Department at 1-800-785-2181 extension 3718 or request an appointment online.

Kemper Auto and Home is an “A” rated (A.M. Best) Unitrin subsidiary. The company offers coverage in 40 states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico.

Visit www.KemperAutoandHome.com for more information.

Sources: GeoVera, Kemper Auto and Home

Higginbotham & Associates

Texas-based Higginbotham & Associates reported the relocation of its Dallas branch office from its Preston Road location to Two Hillcrest Green at Interstate 635 and Hillcrest Road.

Higginbotham chose the location as a vehicle to enhance brand awareness among Metroplex business owners, the company said. The 168,000-square-foot building increases Higginbotham’s office space by more than 3,000 square feet, allowing the agency to expand its Dallas-based staff of 27 employees to accommodate its consistent annual double-digit percent growth.

Higginbotham opened its Dallas office in 1999 with a staff of two insurance brokers. Today the staff, led by managing directors Jeff Turner, Rob Causey and Dan Cox, consists of 10 agents and retains the full service capabilities of the agency’s Fort Worth headquarters. It provides access to personal and commercial property and casualty, employee benefits, retirement plans and life insurance products as well as professional in-house services for risk management and benefits administration.

In addition to its Fort Worth headquarters, the company has five other office locations—Austin, Dallas, Denton, McKinney and Weatherford.

Source: Higginbotham & Associates

Indemnity Excess & Surplus

Keller, Texas-based Indemnity Excess & Surplus Agency announced the continued expansion of its online quoting facility.

With the addition of the 1-4 Family Dwelling product, IES now has eight products available for retailer quoting on their newly updated Web site, www.ies-xs.com. Retail producers can visit IES’s Web site and quote professional liability and property/casualty programs directly from their desktops.

IES has been working with its retail producers to develop a list of online products, which are commonly requested, and needing immediate response. By providing immediate access to these products, IES retail producers have been able to significantly improve their response time to their clients.

Products available to quote online include Non Profit Directors & Officers Liability, Employment Practices Liability, Community Association D&O, Special Event Liability, Personal Umbrella, Comprehensive Personal Liability, Vacant Buildings and 1-4 Family Dwellings. Many classes can be written on an admitted basis.

Source: IES

Texas Mutual

Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced its newest workers’ compensation purchasing group: Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM).

Texas Mutual applies the same premium discount to each TAM group member, regardless of its individual premium size and members are eligible to participate in the Texas Mutual individual and group dividend programs. The company pointed out, however, that past dividends are not a guarantee of future dividends.

TAM is open to most manufacturing classification codes. Any licensed Texas insurance agent can place qualifying clients into the group, with the underwriter’s approval.

For more information visit the Agents section at www.texasmutual.com.

Source: Texas Mutual

Progressive Drive, Homesite

Drive Insurance from Progressive, a writer of auto insurance through independent agents and brokers in the U.S., signed a joint marketing agreement with Homesite Insurance Group, a national provider of home insurance products. The agreement paved the way for a test that will allow selected Drive agents in three states—Ohio, Pennsylvania and Oregon—to provide their Drive auto insurance customers quotes for homeowners, renters and condo insurance policies underwritten and serviced by Homesite.

Further rollout may happen in 2007.

Source: Progressive

Topics Texas