The Tennessee Insuror Nov/Dec '21

THE TENNESSEE

INSUROR

November/December 2021 Volume 32 | Number 6

Living the Legacy Meet 2022 Insurors President Norfleet Anthony III

10 12 44

Agency M&A Up 13% in 2021 So Far

Engaging and Retaining Employees...

2021 Conferees

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Aviation | Bonds | Cannabis | Casualty | Commercial Agribusiness | Farm 2 Healthcare & Human Services | Personal Lines | Professional Liability | Property | Transportation | Workers’ The Tennessee Insuror Compensation

contents

THE TENNESSEE

INSUROR Vol. XXXII, Number 6 November/December 2021

features

Phone (615) 385-1898 Toll Free: 1-800-264-1898 Email: info@insurors.org Editor: Ron Travis Publisher: Market Retrievers LLC

4 Living the Legacy INSURORS OFFICERS

President .................................................................... Bob McIntire IIABA National Director .............................. Cindi Gresham, CIC VP, Region I and President Elect ................... Norfleet Anthony Vice President, Region II .................... Matt Swallows, CIC, CRM Vice President, Region III ........... Kym Clevenger, CPCU, CACW Treasurer/Secretary ............................. John McInturff III, ARM Director, Region I ......................................... Richard Whitley, CIC Director, Region I ........................................... Jamie Williams, CIC Director, Region I ...................................................... Eric Collison Director, Region II ..................................................... Taylor Porch Director, Region II .................................................... Reno Benson Director, Region II ...................................... Paul Steele, CIC, CRM Director, Region III ...................................... Brandon Clarke, CIC Director, Region III ........ Cindy Widener Winn, CPA, CIC, CBIA Director, Region III .......................................... Bill Oldham III, CIC Director, At-Large .............................. S. Keith Phelps, CIC, CRM Director,. Young Agents ...................................... Derek Wright

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Display advertising rates, deadlines and specifications may be obtained by writing to Insurors of Tennessee, 2500 21st Avenue South, Suite 200, Nashville, TN 37212, calling 615.515.2606, e-mailing info@insurors.org or online at www. insurors.org The Tennessee Insuror is provided to all Insurors of Tennessee members and associate members as a member service. cc

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INSURORS OF TENNESSEE 2500 21st Avenue South, Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37212-0539 www.insurors.org

Meet 2022 Insurors President Norfleet Anthony III

8

2021 Convention Highlights

10

Agency M&A Up 13% in 2021 So Far

12

Engaging and Retaining Employees During the "Big Quit"

14

Four Ways to Help Home Buyers Understand...

44

2021 Conferees

departments 21

From Your President

A Challenging But Rewarding Two Years

23

From Your IIABA National Director

25

From Your CEO

29

Education Calendar

31

Government & Legal Update

37

Company Spotlight

39

Broker Spotlight

46

Agents for the Community

What a Great Annual Convention!

Get Ready, Get Set, Go!

Two “Special” Sessions, Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates, & More Lawsuits RLI Personal Umbrella Program Pie Insurance

Watauga Insurance

51 Meetings 53

Member Tips

5 Holiday Marketing Tips 3

Living the Legacy Meet 2022 Insurors President Norfleet Anthony III

Talking with Norfleet Anthony III about his past and his future, a couple of words keep coming up – legacy and family. But he's not just talking about his legacy and his family, he's talking about his agency, the Association, and this industry. For him, they all go hand in hand, and you learn why once you've heard his story.

Norfleet is a born and bred West Tennessean, having grown up in Ripley, the county seat of Lauderdale County. It's a small town (the population is less than 9,000), but it’s a place he loves and in which he has deep roots. Some of his first memories growing up were of going down to the railroad tracks with his grandfather to watch the train come by and pick up the mail. Then they would go downtown and see all of his grandfather's friends. "He seemed to know everybody," Norfleet recalls. How did he know so many people? Being the town insurance agent was a good start.

So, how do you become the "town insurance agent"? When your family has been doing it since 1907, you build a reputation. That was when Albert Sidney Anthony, Norfleet's great grandfather, began taking his horse and buggy around to farms in the area and selling insurance policies. "He'd sell $1,000 worth of coverage for $15," Norfleet proudly relays.

"Once he had explained the policy and done the paperwork, he'd often have a meal with the family or even stay overnight!"

With all that history behind him, Norfleet said he felt "destined" to join the agency. He went to Tipton Academy and then Ripley High School. This is when he began helping at the agency. He would take photos and measurements of prop4

erties for the agency to insure. Then he went off to college, knowing that his legacy would lead him back home to Ripley soon enough.

Some of the Anthony family's earliest policies

Back to "His Calling" Norfleet spent a few years at UT, studying business management and knowing that his real focus was going to be in insurance. He returned home and officially started at the agency on January 3, 1982. From there he began to learn the business, taking the famous Chuck Bidek licensing classes and then going to the USF&G, Allstate, and Travelers insurance schools. He would have loved to learn more about the business from his grandfather, but he passed away at only 65, when Norfleet was about three years old. Norfleet's grandmother, Katherine Anthony, also worked at the agency and played a big role. He says that he may have learned the most from the agency's The Tennessee Insuror

manager, George Grugett. "He was an incredible mentor and was the agency manager for many years," Norfleet recalls. "I learned a ton about insurance from him."

although he had initially started out in personal lines at the agency – commercial lines was now his focus. Things were all growing, changing, and life was moving fast.

Family, Friends, and Growth Norfleet credits a lot of success in the industry to his family.

But not just the family in the "traditional" sense of the word.

"The people at our agency, our agency's clients, and the people I've met through Insurors of Tennessee are really like family now," he says. "They are such a big part of our lives and mean so much." That extended family has also led to growing business, as it has led to partnerships like SecureRisk of Tennessee – the agency partnership that Norfleet and others started in 2014.

Four generations of Anthony men, including baby Norfleet III

He also learned a lot about the industry, and life in general, from his father, Norfleet Anthony Jr. Norfleet Jr. had worked for some carriers and then started at the agency in the mid1950s, and was an ambitious professional. He had expanded the agency and opened locations in several other towns, and even helped start an insurance and banking joint venture. He was also heavily involved in Insurors of Tennessee, and encouraged Norfleet III to be involved as well. When Norfleet Jr. became president of the Association, they traveled around the state together, attending local board meetings and getting to know their peers in the industry. That's when Norfleet III began meeting people that would further shape his career.

His family grew as well. In 2015, Norfleet and Amy got married. Now Norfleet has two additional daughters, Rachel Harpole and Elizabeth Pritchett, who reside in Knoxville. He also has grandchildren now, as his daughter Katherine and her husband, Chad, have had two boys, Jackson and Hudson.

Building a Family and a Business "The Young Agents are really the grassroots of this Association and our backbone," Norfleet III states firmly. "That's where we built up so much of our current leadership, and I believe that's where we'll grow it for the future." Part of the reason he feels so strongly about that statement is because of the bonds he formed through Young Agents. Norfleet III says meeting people like John McInturff III, Lou Moran III, Davis Porch III, Walt Bradshaw, Eddie Miller III, and others really changed his trajectory in insurance. "Most of us were single and just figuring out life and insurance," he says. "It was great to have people to learn along with you."

That group grew up together, and also began to have families that grew up together. Norfleet III got married and had two children, Sydney Norfleet Anthony IV and Katherine Leake (née Anthony). The families would meet up at insurance events, like the Insurors Convention, and really got to know each other.

In addition to busy family life, Norfleet III was in the midst of busy work life as well. He had taken on a larger role at the agency when his father left to become president of the bank he helped form, Farmers Union Bank (now known as InSouth Bank). Norfleet III had also become more active in Insurors, and he join the Board as a Director of Region I in 2002. And The Tennessee Insuror

Norfleet and Amy were married in 2015

Friends in the industry also helped him do some "much needed" planning. After his father passed away in 2017, he began thinking about what his own perpetuation plan would be.

His son is a practicing dentist in Maryville, and his daughter is a pediatric nurse practitioner. That meant that continuing the agency through a traditional family transfer was highly unlikely. Instead, he picked a conversation he had been having for a few years with his friend Donald Ray Pennington and the folks at Tigrett & Pennington Insurance in Dyersburg. They’re now putting together a new partnership for the agency, and it will allow Norfleet to stay involved, keep his staff in place, and keep the family name on the agency.

And speaking of the staff, Norfleet says he can't thank his staff enough, including Crystal Arwood, Lisa Huffman, Wendy Seaton, Jennifer Vaughn, Teresa Sweat, Karl Fischer, and John Anthony.

Looking Ahead As his year as President is beginning, Norfleet also contem5

plates about that legacy. Not only did his father serve as President, but many of his friends have preceded him in that role as well.

have a great staff in place with which to build. We are financially stable and have a talented group of volunteer leaders. I think we're ready for good things in 2022!"

What's Next for Norfleet?

So, where will this story take Sidney Norfleet Anthony III? It’s too early to say, but you can bet he'll be taking his role as President seriously. He'll also be asking for plenty of advice from his friends.

One thing Norfleet wants to make sure all the members of this Association understand, is that they are all part of the family of this industry and the legacy of Insurors of Tennessee. u

Norfleet and Insurors Treasurer John McInturff III at Convention

Where will his focus be as he leads the Board in 2022? "We have the opportunity to build on our strengths as well as add new ones," he explains. "We've got a tremendous presence on the Hill, we have a good group of Young Agent leaders, and we have the opportunity to really enhance what we do for education."

A throwback of their children, (L-R) Rachel, Katherine, Sy, and Elizabeth

Norfleet Jr. speaks to the crowd during an Insurors Convention

In addition, he plans to take some cues from his father and his friends about honoring the legacy of the past generations while still planning for the future of the Association.

That means understanding that some things in the industry are different now. "We have some things change with Insurors over the years," he says. "We used to have multiple agents and their families attend every Convention. We would have many company hospitality suites and big entertainment provided by companies like Exchange Mutual. It was a big deal too. They'd close the doors, and if you weren't in there then you weren't getting in there."

But change just means there are opportunities to adapt. He believes Insurors is positioned well to do so. "We have a lot of energy around some things we're working on. We have Ron's presence on the Hill which is a big deal. We have Lou on the Big I Executive Committee which is a big deal, and we also 6

Norfleet's grandsons Jackson and Hudson

Norfleet, Amy, and their adult children share a laugh

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2021 Convention Highlights We had a great time seeing all of our agents, companies, brokers, and vendors at the Insurors 127th Annual Convention.

Here's a look back at some highlights from the event!

Our group had a great time touring the renowned Fame Studios

Our Partners from Arlington/Roe at the trade show

Paul Overstreet entertains the crowd

Derek Wright accepts his YA of the Year award

Manley Feinburg delivering some words of wisdom

Scott Howell sharing some knowledge with the attendees

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Our 2021 Insuror of the Year – Bob McIntire

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9

Agency M&A Up 13% in 2021 So Far

written by Will Jones, IA Magazine sponsored by our partners at There were 553 announced insurance agency mergers and acquisitions during the first three quarters of 2021, up from 490 in 2020, according to this week's OPTIS Partners' M&A report. It was the highest recorded total for the first three quarters of any calendar year.

“Multiple factors that drive deal activity continue unabated," said Steve Germundson, partner at OPTIS, an investment banking and financial consulting firm specializing in the insurance industry. “An aging group of owners looking at all-time high valuations and expecting future tax increases is met by a larger group of buyers needing to fuel inorganic growth."

The data covers U.S. and Canadian agencies selling primarily property-casualty insurance, agencies selling both P&C and employee benefits, and those selling only employee benefits. It breaks down buyers into four groups: private equitybacked and hybrid brokers; privately held brokers; publicly held brokers; and others.

Who's Buying?

Acrisure led the pack of buyers with 79 transactions year-todate, far more than any other buyer and back on track with their historical pace, which had slowed earlier this year. Other top buyers were PCF Insurance and BroadStreet Partners, both with 31 deals, up from 22 and 40 in 2020, respectively; World Insurance Associates with 27, up from 22; and Hub International with 25, down from 40.

Of the 10 most active buyers, only three completed fewer deals through the first three quarters of 2021 versus the same periods in 2020. Hub declined by 15, BroadStreet dipped by nine fewer deals, and AssuredPartners dropped by three. Relation Insurance, High Street Partners, and Alera each more than doubled the number of transactions completed.

by privately held brokers inched upward from 18% to 20% and publicly traded broker deals slipped from 10% to 6% of total transactions as their deal count fell 32% year-over-year.

P&C sellers accounted for 313 of the total 553 transactions (57%), consistent with their percentage of the totals in recent years.

“The fourth quarter of 2021 may not reach the massive volume of deals done in the last quarter of 2020, but it will likely be close," said Dan Menzer, partner at OPTIS. “A number of active buyers have told us one of their biggest challenges is lining up legal and due-diligence providers for the remainder of the year."

“There is nothing on the horizon that indicates a material slowing of deal activity, absent true economic disruption, even if we see a modest increase in capital gains taxes and rise in interest rates," said Tim Cunningham, managing partner at OPTIS. “During the biggest economic disruption since 2008, OPTIS has handled more deals than ever. There's just so much capital continuing to look for sound investments."

About the Author Will Jones is the editor-in-chief for the Big I publication IA magazine. Will graduated from Coventry University with a BA in English and Journalism in 2010. His insurance industry background includes working for an insurance brokerage based in Portland, Oregon. u

The private equity-backed and hybrid group of buyers have completed 70% of all transactions so far in 2021, which is comparable to the same period in 2020. Meanwhile, acquisitions

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Engaging and Retaining Employees During the "Big Quit" written by Paige McAllister, Affinity HR In August, 4.3 million people quit their jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, leading to the phenomenon being dubbed “the big quit."

In addition to a tight labor market, increasing client demands and the changing business environment, employers are dealing with employees who are “bored out," where workers are suffering from chronic boredom leading to feeling totally meaningless. However, making an effort to engage employees can help mitigate all of these challenges and result in a stronger, more efficient workplace.

Gallup defines engaged employees as being “highly involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace." Employees who are engaged help to improve and innovate the business and are not just watching the clock to collect a paycheck.

Higher engagement also results in lower turnover, which is a crucial advantage in today's tight labor market.

As we all continue to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, working to engage employees should be a matter of the highest priority for business leaders. While engagement techniques previously used to involve lofty ideas, these days smaller, more personalized techniques may prove best.

Here are 10 ways to effectively engage with employees: 1) Acknowledge everything is different. Employers should freely acknowledge the changes many of their employees have faced and that most people are making lifestyle changes – whether needed or wanted – because of COVID-19's wideranging impacts.

Regardless of the underlying reasons, employees are reevaluating their lives and priorities after these past 18 months and continued on page 48...

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Four Ways to Help Home Buyers Understand Specialty Coverage

written by Sally Kressin, American Modern Insurance Group

In this historic home buying market, it can be easy for buyers to get overwhelmed or miss vital steps in the buying process.

As an insurance agent, you can help buyers stay on track by educating them on topics such as the insurance impact of a home inspection and weather or resiliency risks for a potential property.

Buyers will be focused on putting together a competitive offer, not on the potential need or cost of specialty insurance. However, it's important to also help buyers understand whether the property they are interested in buying requires specialty coverage prior to purchase.

When you talk with buyers to determine what type of coverage they need for their home, discuss the factors that go into calculating the possible rate. It is also important to discuss how variables, such as the type of home or intended property use, could impact the need for specialty coverage.

Here are four other ways that agents can help buyers understand different types of specialty coverages for their new home:

1. Discuss how planned occupancy impacts coverage Buyers are focused on trying to secure the home of their dreams in an extremely competitive housing market, which could take their focus away from what coverage the property requires. Begin by explaining how the planned home occupancy can impact what coverage the buyers will need.

For example, if the home will be their primary residence, buyers will probably be eligible for a traditional homeown-

14

ers policy, which would cover the home structure, personal belongings and more.

However, if the buyers plan to rent the home, they need to consider other options, such as a dwelling fire policy. You can also educate buyers on additional coverages like temporary or occasional rental coverage, as well as topics like liability limits and medical payment coverage. This coverage could help protect owners if renters are injured during their stay.

Also, discuss whether the buyers plan to list the property as a rental on platforms like Airbnb because there are often challenges in securing short-term rental coverage for the property. While it's more difficult to secure short-term rental coverage for these kinds of properties because of the high traffic rate of renters compared to renting a home for a longer term to one party, it may be available as specialty coverage.

2. Review the different types of homeowners coverage Buyers may overlook things that could impact their eligibility for standard homeowners coverage.

Explain what factors go into determining coverage, such as the location of the home, age of the roof, whether or not there is a pool, and other conditions that influence price, coverage type and coverage amount. Some of these factors, such as age, location, or claims concerns, could require specialty coverage.

Insurance agents know there are different types of homeowners coverage that can cover dwelling and personal belongings as well as different home types – but buyers might not

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15

think of that. Buyers might not know that there are different types of homeowners coverage for condos, manufactured, mobile and single-family homes.

Also, ask buyers if they are planning any renovations. If so, you can explain how the value change can be contemplated in the replacement cost calculation for homeowners insurance.

3. Explain what specialty coverage is needed for renovations or a vacancy Speaking of renovations, buyers may not be aware of how renovations could impact their insurance.

If the buyers are planning to renovate the property, you can educate them on the differences between a builders risk policy and a vacant remodel policy. A builders risk policy will generally protect ground-up or new construction and building materials that are stored or in transit to the property. However, a builders risk policy will typically only apply to projects that take longer than six months to complete.

Planned vacancies are another component they should be aware of. Walk the buyers through the particular risks and different types of coverage for vacant properties, which will generally differ from a typical homeowners policy. In fact, standard homeowners policies generally don't cover a property that has been vacant for more than 60 days.

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A vacant remodel policy offers coverage for any remodeling or cosmetic project done at the home. This type of coverage is an alternative insurance option if the renovation will be completed in 30 days to six months. Similarly, a vacant or unoccupied policy will cover the property while it remains vacant.

4. Keep communication lines open Establishing and maintaining an open line of communication with home buyers is critical and can help relieve their stress.

You can keep the line of communication going by scheduling a biannual insurance review, by sharing relevant insurance content with the buyers on social media, or simply checking in on them with a brief phone call or email.

While the home buying process is stressful, buyers are lucky that they have you as a trusted insurance agent who can provide guidance, tactical tips and timely support during and after the home buying process. As is the case with any strong relationship, communication is key. Buyers need more than just insurance coverage, they need your expertise and dedication to help ensure they're insured for the long run.

About the Author Sally Kressin is vice president of product management at American Modern Insurance Group Inc. u

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Future Leaders Spotlight

presented by

Jessica Govic, CLCS • Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management - Nashville Jessica Govic of Gallagher

Jessica Govic was raised in a north suburb of Chicago. She met her husband, Anthony, in college. The couple just welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Madeline (Maddie) James, in August.

Since moving to Nashville, Jessica has raised more than $100,000 for the American Cancer Society. She was also recently placed on the Nashville Board for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Cancer has impacted many of her family and friends, and Jessica says that raising money to help fight this terrible disease is a cause near and dear to her heart.

One fun fact about Jessica is that she is an avid violinist. And although she said it feels fitting that they moved to Music City four years ago for her job with Gallagher, she promised them not to leave to pursue a music career!

The Insuror: Can you tell us a little about your current job title and responsibilities?

Jessica: My current role is the Area President for Gallagher’s Tennessee and Kentucky operations. We have offices in Nashville, Memphis, and Louisville. I’m tasked with leading these teams to drive organic growth, retain clients, hire and develop new production talent, and also source new acquisition partners.

The Insuror: What can you tell us about your educational background?

Jessica: I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Finance from Northern Illinois University.

The Insuror: How and why did you get your career in the insurance industry started?

Jessica: I had planned to become a stock broker, but as fate would have it I tripped over a Gallagher employee’s foot at an Internship Fair my junior year of college and ended up interviewing with Gallagher.

Now it is 14 years later and I’m still here. One could say I literally fell into insurance!

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The Insuror: Do you have any influences/role models in the industry?

Jessica: Everyone I’ve ever worked with at Gallagher. Is that an acceptable response? I’ve truly had the blessing of working with some of the most inspiring and caring people internally at my company. That is definitely the reason I’m still here. I’m inspired every day to do more, learn more, and be more for my team, our clients, and our company. That said, I have a core group of mentors in my network that I reach out to when I need help or advice.

The Insuror: Is there any advice you could offer Young Agents or others in the industry to achieve success in their careers?

Jessica: Say yes to everything you can. Whether that is attending a prospect meeting, sitting in on a cold calling session, signing up for a lunch and learn, recruiting at an internship fair – just say yes! Everything I’ve done up to this point has taught me something new or introduced me to someone I wouldn’t have normally crossed paths with. Being in sales and marketing – which is truly the definition of an insurance broker in my opinion – means you will need to put yourself out there. You will not learn and grow if you do not jump in feet first.

The Insuror: You have many partners in this industry, including carriers, MGAs and many more.

How do you determine which ones are the right relationships?

Jessica: I think this goes back to my answer on “advice to Young Agents.” I meet with everyone at least once. You never know who is going to be the key in providing a certain product, coverage, or resource. Relationships to me go both ways. It’s about finding synergies in the partners we work with. We want to be able to provide them with what they are looking for just as much as we want to use their resources to help our prospects/clients. Finding people that help you and that you can depend on while offering them the same in return is what I would consider a “right relationship.”

The Insuror: Thank you for giving us your time, Jessica, we appreciate it and wish you continued success.

Jessica: It was my pleasure. Thanks so much! u The Tennessee Insuror

Young Agents '21

Are you making the Right Choice for their Business?

Upcoming Events and Information

BSIG Makes It Easy With Choice Classes For Middle Market Risks Our Young Agents Committee strives to offer young insurance professionals with opportunities to network and develop in the industry. We accomplish this by hosting receptions, classes and volunteer opportunities designed to meet the needs of insurance professionals under 40 years of age across Tennessee.

We are planning our 2022 events now. I you have thoughts or feedback on our programs, please reach out to one of the below contacts:

2021 Young Agents Committee

Middle Market Choice Classes* Below is just a broad listing. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, please contact us.

• General Contractors • Building Trade Contractors • Utility Contractors • Land Improvement Contractors • Pavement Maintenance-Non DOT

* All classes may not be available in all states.

Derek Wright - Chair Agent/Principal Graham & Cook Insurance Knoxville derek@grahamandcook.com Cy Young - Immediate Past Chair President Young-Hughes Insurance/Haven Ins. Partners Alamo/Jackson cy@younghughesinsurance.com

Our Claim Commitment • 24/7/365 loss reporting-including online • • Accelerated auto and property estimating and repair options • • “Fast Track” medical only claims handling program • • Tele-emergent medicine program-connects injured workers to medical care, not “triage” •

Want to know more?

Forbes Harris - Region I Producer Harris, Madden & Powell Insurance Memphis fharris@hmpins.com Matt Felgendreher - Region II Executive Vice President W.C. Dillon Company & Insight Risk Management Nashville mfelgendreher@irmllc.com John Brock - Region III Agent/Partner Brock Insurance Agency Chattanooga john@brockins.com For more info on the Young Agents program please contact Jake Smith at jsmith@insurors.org. u The Tennessee Insuror

• Services Contractors • Building Cleaning & Maintenance Contractors • Construction Material Suppliers • Manufacturing • Wholesale and Distributing

Bill Vanderslice, Regional Vice-President 615-932-5508 | bvanderslice@berkleysig.com or your Middle Market Underwriter

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Products and services are provided by one or more insurance company subsidiaries of W. R. Berkley Corporation. Not all products and services are available in every jurisdiction, and the precise coverage afforded by any insurer is subject to the actual terms and conditions of the policies as issued.

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BEST

©2019 Berkley Southeast Insurance Group. All rights reserved.

0719-38

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20

The Tennessee Insuror

From Your President A Challenging But Rewarding Two Years It is hard to believe two years have passed already. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President, it has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life. I want to thank the Board of Directors for their hard work and dedication to our Association these last two years.

It has been very challenging at times and I dare say more than any of us imagined when we said yes. Your Board has worked tirelessly at times and always had what was in the best interest of this Association at the forefront with every decision.

John McInturff III has done a remarkable job in managing the finances of our Association and has us on very sound financial footing. Ron is putting the finishing touches on rounding out his staff and I look forward to what will be accomplished next year with the new faces and fresh ideas.

Ron and his staff did a fantastic job with this year’s convention and I have had very positive feedback. When you consider that no one on staff had ever attended a IOT convention much less organized one I think what they did was absolutely amazing – very well done. As always, we are looking for opportunities for improvement, and ideas on what would make our Convention more attractive and bring value to your time away from the office. If you have suggestions on things you would like to

see at future conventions please reach out to Ron or Jake and share your ideas.

We have a new Women in Insurance (WINS) committee that will kick things off next year and we are excited about the ideas they will bring for our women’s events. Thank you to Janet Smith, June Taylor, Christy Jones, Allison Flores, and Laura Gaunt for agreeing to serve on this very important committee.

Now is the time to be thinking about any legislative issues you feel need to be addressed in the upcoming legislative session. With both D.C. and Nashville closed to visitors due to COVID-19 we were not able to visit our legislators as we have in years past. Even with that complication, both the State and National Association did a great job representing our interests at both levels.

Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to resume in person visits in 2022, which is certainly more effective. I would be remiss if I did not ask for a PAC contribution as you are considering your year-end giving.

I hope everyone had a very thankful Thanksgiving and Melinda and I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas.

Norfleet, it’s all yours! u

“ T h a n k you for the opportunity to serve as your President, it has truly been one of the greatest honors of m y l i f e .”

Bob and Melinda at the Wilson Dam during the Insurors Convention

Bob McIntire The Tennessee Insuror

21

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The Tennessee Insuror

From Your IIABA National Director What a Great Annual Convention!

If you did not attend the Insurors of Tennessee 128th Annual Convention in Muscle Shoals, you missed out! Everyone enjoyed absolutely beautiful weather and had a great time getting together in-person once again.

We started out the convention Saturday night with a spirited College Football watch party on the beautiful balcony patio of the Marriott Muscle Shoals. Team colors were on display everywhere as our Partners and Members were cheering on their favorite school.

Sunday afternoon our exhibit hall was open for the first time since COVID-19 hit. The exhibit hall space was full with our Carrier and Broker booths. What a great time we had meeting with our old friends and making new ones that had not attended our convention before. On Sunday night, Paul Overstreet entertained us some of his 27 hit songs and laughter was abundant as he explained how he created his music. We finished our entertainment evening with a beautiful fireworks display before our Young Agents and First Time Attendees enjoyed their after hours event.

Chuck Bidek was able to return to our stage one more time to host the giveaways.

What a surprise for our President, Bob McIntire when he was named as the Insuror of the Year by our Executive Committee. Congratulations to our all of our Award winners: Derek Wright Arch E. Northington "Young Agent of the Year" Matt Swallows Jim Alexander "Committee Member of the Year" Kym Clevenger Presidential Citation Hollis & Burns, Inc. Charles T. Bidek Political Action Award And how exciting for Scott Coon of Travelers to win the coveted Lava Lamp!

We want to give a special thank you to all of our Carrier and Broker Partners for helping make this 128th convention such a success. We could not have done it without you, especially our top level Partners:

Monday we finished our Exhibit Hall event with our Carrier and Broker giveaway parade for our agents. Scott Howell with "The Insurance Guys Podcast" was our speaker for our first breakout session explaining how to be a more virtual, high-tech agency and include podcasts part of your agency plan. Manley Feinberg finished the breakout sessions and was very inspirational with his presentation, "Reaching Your Summit" and his rendition of the National Anthem on his electric guitar was entertaining.

ENDORSED

After business in the morning we had a gorgeous afternoon to play golf, shoot clays, take a tour of the TVA Dam and the Fame Recording Studio, or just some enjoy some R&R. The weather was glorious and the day enjoyable for all. Monday night allowed time for socializing with friends and business associates.

LEADING

Tuesday morning we finished our convention with the Annual Business Meeting. Awards were presented and the much anticipated prizes were given away. Our former Executive Director, The Tennessee Insuror

“What a great tim e we ha d meeting with our old friends and making new ones...”

FLOOD INSURANCE

Mark Your Calendars for 2022 If you did not attend the 2021 Insurors of Tennessee Convention you missed out! Mark your calendar now for the 129th 2022 Convention, October 15-18, 2022 in Nashville. We hope to see you there. u

Cindi Gresham 23

Endorsed Partner of

24

The Tennessee Insuror

From Your CEO Get Ready, Get Set, Go! Research found that despite ongoing COVID-19 concerns, insurers expect more rapid growth next year. Although non-pandemic challenges around regulation, talent, sustainability, and evolving customer preferences may present speed bumps, a lot will depend on how effectively insurers manage their investments in people and emerging technologies.

Flexible work models, balancing automation

with the need to maintain human touch with customers, and being more proactive in bolstering stakeholders’ trust should be among the industry’s strategic priorities.

Despite lingering concerns about COVID-19 variants, most insurers expect an accelerating economic recovery and additional digital technology investment in 2022.

About one third of the survey respondents expect revenues to be “significantly better” next year.

The demand for insurance is expected to keep rising worldwide. All data relates back to a common thread, the need to find ways to balance

technology adoption with maintaining human touch.

Insurors 128th Annual Ccnvention Insurors of Tennessee’s 128th Annual Convention is in the books. Our first convention with new staff started in Muscle Shoals, Alabama on October 16 and ended October 19. Along with the praises were some lessons learned.

We at Insurors are looking forward to a stellar convention here in Nashville at the JW Marriott in October 2022. Our team will work very hard to make this upcoming convention one of the best ever. As everyone knows, our success depends on our members taking time with our Partner Program companies to build relationships with each other. I look forward to the best attendance ever, and taking our momentum to a new level.

As for next year, I'm wishing you 12 months of success, 52 weeks of laughter, 365 days of fun, 8,760 hours of joy, 525,600 minutes of good luck, and 31,536,000 seconds of happiness.

Happy New Year 2022! u

“...our success depends on our members taking time with our P a r t n e r Program companies...”

The site of our 2022 Convention, the new JW Marriott in downtown Nashville

Ron Travis The Tennessee Insuror

25

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The Tennessee Insuror

EDUCATION SCHEDULE

20 21

SEP

9/15-17 CIC Commercial Casualty • NASHVILLE 9/28 CISR Commercial Property • JOHNSON CITY

FEB

2/2 CISR Agency Operations • NASHVILLE

9/29 CISR Commercial Property • KNOXVILLE

2/3 CISR Agency Operations • MEMPHIS 2/17-19 CIC Commercial Property • NASHVILLE

9/30 CISR Commercial Property • CHATTANOOGA

MARCH

11/3-5 CIC Personal Lines • NASHVILLE

3/10-12 CIC Commercial Multiline • MEMPHIS

APRIL

NOV DEC

12/7 CISR Commercial Casualty II • NASHVILLE

4/6 CISR Personal Residential • JOHNSON CITY

12/8 CISR Commercial Casualty II • MEMPHIS

4/7 CISR Personal Residential • KNOXVILLE 4/8 CISR Personal Residential • CHATTANOOGA

ONLINE EDUCATION

4/21-22 Ruble Graduate Seminar • NASHVILLE

MAY 5/11 CISR Elements of Risk Management • NASHVILLE 5/12 CISR Elements of Risk Management • MEMPHIS

AUGUST

Use code FALL2020 to get 20% off all ABEN online CE courses.

Education Calendar The Insurors of Tennessee offers education opportunities to member agents across a wide range of insurance specialties that satisfy individuals at many different experience levels.

If you are looking to further your career, seeking a professional designation, or need to satisfy continuing education requirements, check out the variety of courses available.

Registration is fast and easy at www.insurors.org. More info about each class can also be found online or by contacting Teresa Durham at tdurham@insurors.org or 615.515.2607.

Use code INSTN to get 20% off on Pre-Licensing and CE courses through Kaplan Financial.

8/4-6 CIC Agency Management • KNOXVILLE

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Fee: $186

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CIC

Fee: $430

2/16-18 Commercial Property Institute 3/9-11 Agency Management Institute

CE: 7

Nashville Memphis Nashville Memphis Johnson City Knoxville Chattanooga

CE: 16

Nashville Memphis

The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: www.nasba.org. Advanced Curriculum Rating = 20 CPE Credits. For more information regarding administrative policies such as complaint and refund, please contact our offices at 800-633-2165.

ABEN Webcasts (insurors.aben.tv) 12/8 12/8 12/8 12/9 12/9 12/9 12/9 12/10 12/10 12/10 12/10 12/10 12/10

Cyber Security and Insurance Risk CE: 2 $48 Double Trouble - COI and Biz Auto CE: 2 $48 Are You More Ethical Than Politician? CE: 1 $24 E&O: Roadmap to PAP and PUP CE: 3 $72 E&O: Roadmap to HO Endorse. Pt. 1 CE: 3 $72 E&O: Roadmap to HO Endorse. Pt. 2 CE: 3 $72 Flood Program Overview: NFIP CE: 3 $72 Premium Auditing: Agents Must Know CE: 2 $52 The Basics of COPE CE: 3 $79 The Law of Insurance Contracts CE: 3 $79 Torts, Negligence & Liability CE: 3 $79 NFIP Then and Now CE: 3 $72 E&O: Comm. Prop. Coverage Gaps CE: 3 $72

12/11 12/11 12/18 12/18 12/18 12/18 12/21 12/21 12/27

E&O: Roadmap to Policy Analysis I Commercial Prop. Endorsements E&O: Meet the Challenge of Change Business Auto Claims Problems Ethical Issues: Personal & Org. Business Income and Extra Expense Insuring Condominiums Personal Lines Myths: Part 1 Street Level Ethics

CE: 3 $72 CE: 2 $48 CE: 2 $48 CE: 2 $48 CE: 3 $72 CE: 2 $48 CE: 2 $48 CE: 1 $24 CE: 3 $72

Addl' Courses (www.iiaba.net/vu) Available from IIABA Virtual University. Member pricing shown.

Ethics for Insurance Professionals How to Calc. Business Income in 5 Min. National Flood Insurance Program New Employee Training Course

CE: 3 CE: 3 CE: 6 CE: 9

$75 $50 $80 $100

*check VU site for current information on CE and pricing

Available from The National Alliance

(www.scic.com)

Legal & Ethical Requirements of Insurance CE: 4 Insuring Flood Exposures - NFIP Review CE: 4 Available from The Institutes

$75 $75

(insurors.ceu.com)

Insurance Principles and Policies CE: 7 Long Term Care CE: 24 Workers’ Compensation CE: 10 Employee Benefits for Small Companies CE: 4 Healthcare Reform and Affordable Care CE: 5 eCoverage CE: 15 Fundamentals of Personal Auto Insurance CE: 3 Management Process for Ins. Professionals CE: 21 Intro to Flexible Spending Accounts CE: 4 Terrorism and Its Impact on Insurance CE: 4 Toxic Mold and Homeowners Insurance CE: 15 Understanding the Industry of Insurance CE: 5

$49 $99 $59 $39 $49 $79 $29 $89 $39 $39 $79 $39

Register Online at www.insurors.org

Indicates course is presented by The National Alliance. Register for these courses at www.thenationalalliance.com The Tennessee Insuror

27

Partners

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FOR TENNESSEE

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continued on page 44 The Tennessee Insuror

Government & Legal Update

Advocacy Update: Two “Special” Sessions, Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates, & More Lawsuits October in a non-election year is normally known as the “offseason” for the Tennessee General Assembly, but then again, normal seems somewhat abnormal these days. Since our last issue circulated, the General Assembly convened and adjourned two special sessions. As anticipated in these pages, the first was to finalize the state’s massive economic development deal with Ford Motor Company.

The Dearborn, Michigan auto giant announced it will develop a $5.6 billion “mega campus” and bring 6,000 jobs to West Tennessee in a joint venture with SK Innovation. In return, Governor Lee convened the state legislature on October 18 to formally approve over $884 million in incentives, including $500 million in grants to Ford. The package also included $200 million in new road funding and $138 million in site prep and wastewater utilities. It was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers by votes of 90-3 (House) and 27-3 (Senate).

Although special sessions are typically convened by way of a governor’s “call,” the General Assembly took the rare step of calling themselves into another special session two weeks after the Ford session. It is rare partly because it requires the physical signatures from at least two-thirds of each chamber, making a governor’s declaration logistically easier. But Governor Lee disagreed with his fellow republicans in the legislature that state legislation was a necessary (and effective) response to the Biden Administration’s various COVID-19 vaccine mandates. In his public comments, the Governor said the more appropriate tactic was to challenge the Biden Administration in court (Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery has joined two different suits). Nevertheless, republicans in the General Assembly, seemingly under intense pressure from constituents, gathered the requisite number of signatures to bypass the governor and convene themselves on October 27.

In three days, the legislature passed six substantive pieces of legislation relative to COVID-19. A brief summary of each is below. Governor Lee signed each bill on November 12, 2021, except for Pub. Ch. 9004, which he allowed to become law without his signature.

Public Chapter 1 authorizes elections of school board members to be conducted on a partisan basis and authorizes a person seeking a position on any board in the county to campaign as the nominee or representative of a political party. It authorizes political parties to nominate candidates for school board membership by any method authorized under the rules of the party or by primary election under Title 2 if at least one county primary board elects to conduct school board elections on a partisan basis.

The Tennessee Insuror

Public Chapter 2 adds cash as a form of eligible collateral for purposes of the collateral required to be pledged to secure public deposits. The new law decreases the collateral pledge level for public deposits held by collateral pool banks.

Public Chapter 3 decreases the time a state of emergency may continue under an executive order or proclamation issued by the governor from 60 days to 45 days.

Public Chapter 4 limits the authority of the state’s six independent county health departments created by private act (Shelby, Davidson, Knox, Hamilton, Sullivan, and Madison) and gives the Governor “exclusive jurisdiction” over directives during a pandemic. The new law generally forbids the commissioner of health and local health officials from official acts contrary to a Governor’s order during a pandemic.

Public Chapter 5 allows the attorney general and reporter to petition the court for appointment of a “district attorney general pro tem” if a district attorney general “peremptorily and categorically” refuses to prosecute all instances of a criminal offense without regard to facts or circumstances. The law requires the court to appoint a district attorney general pro tem if the court finds the district attorney general has refused to attend and prosecute according to law.

Public Chapter 6: The “main event” of the COVID-19 special session, Pub. Ch. 6 as originally drafted placed numerous restrictions on private businesses, public and private schools, and government entities relative to COVID-19 masking and vaccine policies. Lobbyists from businesses, hospitals, and other entities subject to various federal regulations raised concerns with the looming uncertainty of being caught in between conflicting state and federal COVID-19 laws. After some lengthy negotiations, lawmakers approved an amended version of the bill. Among the changes included exemptions for entities that potentially stood to lose federal funding if forced to comply with the new state law, including government contractors, hospitals, and colleges and universities.

The new law also does not prohibit businesses from imposing their own mask policies, including private schools. Public school systems face considerably higher hurdles regarding masks under the new law.

Among the more controversial provisions to remain are provisions that allow employees terminated for refusing to comply with COVID-19 vaccine requirements to qualify for unemployment insurance and creating a private right of action against employers who take “adverse action” against employees in violation of the new law. “Adverse action” is defined broadly by the new law and includes actions to “discharge, threaten, 31

or otherwise discriminate against an employee in any manner that affects the employee's employment, including compensation, terms, conditions, locations, rights, immunities, promotions, or privileges.” The new law includes a “sunset” provision and is set to automatically expire on July 1, 2023.

Take it to Court The federal judiciary will get its chance to weigh in on numerous federal and state COVID-19 laws and regulations. As this magazine went to print, a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s new COVID-19 (Pub. Ch. 6) was pending before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee as to whether the new state law is preempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw had already ruled (along with colleagues in the Western and Eastern Districts) that an Executive Order issued by Governor Lee allowing parents of students to opt out of mask mandates violated the ADA. The legislature attempted to address this issue with a provision allowing for “reasonable accommodations” to be made for such students under the new state law.

Republican attorneys general (AGs) are turning to federal court for relief from federal regulations as well. As mentioned briefly above, Attorney General Herbert Slatery joined fellow republican AGs in lawsuits challenging two Biden Administration regulations requiring employers to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The first challenges an emergency temporary standard issued by the Biden Administration’s Occupa-

tional Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and applies to employers with 100 or more employees. The second challenges the President’s move to require federal contractors to maintain vaccine requirements for their employees.

Over 34 lawsuits were filed across the nation within 10 days of Biden’s announcement of the OSHA vaccine mandate, and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the OSHA rule.

Due to the numerous lawsuits being filed multiple circuits, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation decided via lottery that the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals would decide the merits of the challenges to the OSHA rule. The 6th Circuit includes Tennessee and is generally seen as a conservative circuit, with most judges being appointees of republican presidents.

If it survives legal challenge, the Biden OSHA rule is scheduled to become fully effective on January 4, 2022, exactly one week before the Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes for regular session (January 11).

About the Author Trey Moore is the government and legal consultant for Insurors. He operates Trey Moore Consulting in Nashville and formerly served as senior public policy counsel for one of Nashville’s largest law firms. Trey has over a decade of experience in representing clients before the Tennessee General Assembly and state government. u

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The Tennessee Insuror

MY CUSTOMER WANTED TO GROW HIS BUSINESS AND WAS COMPETING

FOR A LARGE CONTRACT T.

I ISSUED A COI FOR HIS

BUILDERS MUTUAL POLICY

THAT VERY DAY.

THANKS TO BUILDERS MUTUAL I CAN GIVE MY CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY NEED WHEN THEY NEED IT. Whether it’s the voice in your head or the one right beside you, Builders Mutual is always there, at work with you.

BuildersMutual.com

The Tennessee Insuror

33

It shouldn’t take four days with no power, water, or communication to find out who your friends are.

BUT SOMETIMES IT DOES. And that’s the Silver Lining®.

34

The Tennessee Insuror

Association Update 8 Insurors Members on Best Practices List

Widener Ins. Named Best of Best in 4 Categories

This year, an outstanding group of 264 agencies across 45 states qualified as Best Practices Agencies. Each of these agencies submitted extensive financial and operational data for review after having been nominated and selected in 2019. These firms represent the highest performers based on their growth and operational excellence. In Tennessee, eight Insurors members were named to the list, including:

Widener Insurance Agency in Johnson City was recently named "Best of the Best" in four insurance categories by the Johnson City Press. The agency was named best Auto Insurance provider, best Home Insurance provider, best Business Insurance provider, and best Life Insurance provider by the publications readers.

• • • • • • • •

Athens Insurance - Athens BFS Insurance - Clarksville Brock Insurance Agency - Chattanooga Collier Insurance - Memphis Insurefit RM - Knoxville McDaniel-Whitley - Germantown Montgomery & Associates Insurance - Brentwood Powell & Meadows Insurance Agency - Carthage

In addition, Brock Insurance Agency was named as a "Top Performer" in the $5-10 million revenue category.

TIS Voted Top Commercial Agency TIS Insurance Services was recently voted as the #1 Commercial Insurance provider by the readers of CityView Magazine. Each year, the publication polls its readers in a multitude of categories to determine the "Best of" in local business industries.

Risk Strategies Promotes Wiek

Bryan Insurance Celebrates 100 Years Maryville-based Bryan Insurance Group recently celebrated the agency's 100 year old founding. The agency’s roots in Blount County date back to 1921; that’s when Jesse C. Gillespie founded J.C Gillespie Insurance. Gillespie would later merge with Blazer Insurance Agency, which later merged to form Crum & Blazer Insurance.

The agency's current owner, Matthew Bryan, purchased Hitson Insurance in 2016, creating Hitson, Crum & Blazer. He change the name to Bryan Insurance Group in 2018.

Martin & Zerfoss Adds Alamillo Nashville agency Martin & Zerfoss has announced the addition of Michaela Alamillo to their Commercial Lines team.

A graduate of the University of Oregon, Michaela is a California native, who relocated to Tennessee in 2018 at which time she began her insurance career.

Risk Strategies has announced that Carol Wiek, CIC, CPRM, CPRIA, CISR has been promoted to Personal Insurance Client Service Director, Central Region. Wiek has been servicing her own book of business out of Nashville in addition to helping other offices. In her new role, Carol will help create more efficient processes and workflow for personal lines throughout the Central Region.

Montgomery Insurance Named to "Best of"

Powers Named a "Guardian of Small Business"

Chattanooga-based Reliance Partners was recently named to as a 2022 FreightWaves FreightTech 100 Company. The FreightTech Award honors innovation and disruption within the freight industry. Nominations are narrowed down to the FreightTech 100 which is then voted on by a hand-picked peer group of CEOs, industry leaders and investors actively investing in freight to select the FreightTech 25.

Business (NFIB).

The Tennessee Insuror

State Representative Dennis Powers (R-Jacksboro), an agent with Gray Fox Insurance Group in East Tennessee, was recently named as a Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent

Montgomery & Associates Insurance in Brentwood was recently named as the "Best Insurance Company" and "Best Place to Work" in the 2021 poll responses by the readers of the Nashville Scene.

Reliance Partners Named to FreightTech 100

Reliance focuses its agency on insurance and risk management for the trucking and transportation industry. u 35

Your insights

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Your attorney clients know their firm inside and out. You know your markets and your competitors. At Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, we have the capabilities and the financial strength to meet the risk needs of insureds for Lawyer’s Professional Liability. Whether the risk is basic or complex, we believe there’s only one way to arrive at the right solution. And that’s to work together and combine your experience with our expertise and your strengths with our skills. Long-term relationships bring long-term benefits. We’re smarter together.

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions is proud to be the exclusively endorsed Lawyer’s Professional Liability provider for the Insurors of Tennessee. For more information or to access the program, please contact administrator Jeff Severino of Lockton Affinity at JSeverino@locktonaffinity.com or 913.652.7520.

36

Insurors of Tennessee Ph 1 800 264 1898 E info@insurors.org

The Tennessee Insuror

Insurance products underwritten by Westport Insurance Corporation, Overland Park, Kansas, United States, a member of Swiss Re Corporate Solutions.

Program Spotlight RLI Personal Umbrella Policies Life can change in an instant. A personal umbrella insurance policy (PUP) helps protect your clients against the unexpected events that can wreak havoc on their family, finances, and their future. What is Personal Umbrella Insurance? Personal umbrella protection is a low-cost insurance policy that picks up where the liability coverage included in a personal auto and homeowners policies leaves off.

Offering clients a PUP is not only a great opportunity to provide them with more complete coverage, but it can also protect you and your agency from E&O liability.

Coverage Details With RLI's PUP program – endorsed and administered by Insurors – the insured can maintain their auto or home coverage with any company they choose, provided they agree to maintain the mandatory minimum underlying coverage limits. See application for underlying coverage limit.

The RLI PUP program provides the best protection for the insured and their family. The policy may be written either in the name of an individual, in the names of both spouses, or in the names of two unrelated individuals as long as they reside in the same household. The insureds spouse and members of the insureds household who are relatives or are in the insureds care and custody are insured under the policy.

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$1 to $5 million in additional insurance Backed by a financially secure, A+ by AM Best-rated company You can keep your current homeowner/auto insurer Immediate coverage available in all 50 states plus D.C. New drivers accepted – no age limit on drivers

The Tennessee Insuror

• •

Help Your Clients Protect Their Assets

Up to one DWI/DUI per household allowed Auto limits as low as 100/300/50 in certain cases

Eligibility The applicant qualifies through a series of questions on the self-qualifying/ underwriting application. Refer to application for the underlying limits requirements. *Do not count antique/classic/collectible autos, as these are counted separately on the application. Up to 25 are permissible.

The rating structure is designed to offer reduced premiums to your clients with lower levels of exposure.

Writing Your First PUP Ready to get started writing PUPs for your clients? Here are the steps to get started: 1. Visit https://www.insurors.org/IOT/ Products_and_Services/RLI_PUP. aspx 2. If you would like a preliminary quote, complete the self-explanatory application at the Online Quoter.

3. If your agency needs to be set up as an RLI subproducer, use the info below to contact the Tennessee RLI Administrator, Stephen Holmes, for quick and easy instructions.

4. Once you have printed the completed application and verified that the risk qualifies for a policy, follow the submission Helpful Hints and submit the app.

5. Do not send applications and premiums to IIABA or RLI directly.

Instead, contact Stephen with any questions.

Tennessee Contact Stephen Holmes, CPCU, CIC, CISR Director of For-Profit sholmes@insurors.org 615.515.2608 About RLI Corp.

RLI is a specialty property and casualty insurance and surety bond company.

They help people and companies safeguard their assets by partnering with them to navigate the world of insurance and risk.

RLI is not what you’d expect from an insurance company. From their products to their business model, the culture to the results — they’re different. And they find that doing the unexpected is one of their greatest strengths.

RLI believes that in order to deliver strong financial results, they must also remain a sustainable organization. They are committed to continue integrating sound Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles into their business, and their approach to sustainability reflects their focus on doing the right thing – for customers, employees, communities and the environment.

Need more help getting started?

Contact Stephen Holmes, CPCU, CIC, CISR at sholmes@insurors.org or call 615.515.2608. u 37

TOGETHER WORKING

“Exclusive member agencies, collaborating to bring the best insurance solutions to their clients.”

The Allison Insurance Group - Jackson Assured Insurance Consultants, LLC - Morristown Bagley & Bagley Insurance - Fayetteville Boyle Insurance Agency, Inc. - Memphis Burke, Powers & Harty - Bristol Carnal-Roberts Agency, Inc. - Lexington Cate-Russell Insurance, Inc. - Maryville Goss Insurance - Hixson Higgins Insurance - Clarksville/Hopkinsville, KY Inter-Agency Insurance Services - Knoxville 38

Martin & Zerfoss, Inc. - Nashville McInturff, Milligan & Brooks - Greeneville Miller | Loughry | Beach Insurance Services - Murfreesboro Ownby Insurance Service, Inc. - Sevierville Powell & Meadows Insurance Agency - Carthage Smith-Berclair Insurance, Inc. - Memphis Sunbelt Insurance Group - Chattanooga Tigrett & Pennington Inc. - Dyersburg V.R. Williams & Company - Winchester Watauga Insurance, Inc. - Johnson City

Get more information now at www.securerisk.com

The Tennessee Insuror

Vendor Spotlight Pie Insurance

Making Buying Workers' Comp as Easy as Pie

Pie Insurance leverages technology to transform how small businesses buy and experience workers’ compensation insurance, with the goal of making it affordable and as easy as pie. Pie is turning a 600-year-old industry on its head.

Typical commercial insurance companies still rely on a timeconsuming process in which underwriters manually price each policy that comes through the door.

Through its use of automation and proprietary pricing algorithms, Pie is able to auto-decide a very high percentage of class codes – more than 73 percent – and save small businesses up to 30 percent on their workers’ comp insurance.Target industries include construction, restaurants, manufacturing, retail, landscaping and more.

Pie’s innovative partner portal enables agency partners to submit clients for coverage in less than 5 minutes, and includes features like document uploads, draft submissions,

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Brokers and insurance agencies interested in partnering with Pie should reach out via their website at https://agencies. pieinsurance.com/ where they can also view a demo of the partner portal. u

RECREATIONAL INSURANCE

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Pie offers workers’ comp coverage rated A- by AM Best and is available in 36 states and Washington D.C. Founded in 2017 by John Swigart, former Chief Marketing Officer of Esurance, and Dax Craig, former Chief Executive Officer of Valen Analytics, Pie has raised over $300M in funding, grown its gross written premium to over $100M, and partnered with over 1,000 agencies nationwide.

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Strengthen your independence.

Keystone’s partners maintain their independence while benefiting from added resources on a national scale. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with partner agencies to strengthen their agency and offer resources and solutions to support their specific goals.

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That’s how independence works better together!

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Michele Bicknell 570.473.2148 | mbicknell@keystoneinsgrp.com keystoneinsgrp.com 40

The Tennessee Insuror

©2021 Keystone Insurers Group ®. All rights reserved. This does not constitute an offer to sell a franchise in any state in which the Keystone Insurers Group franchise is not registered.

Company Briefs Liberty Mutual Launching Comparion

retail, hospitality, and manufacturing, among others."

Liberty Mutual Insurance, the nation’s sixth-largest provider of personal lines property and casualty insurance, has launched Comparion Insurance Agency.

Harford Mutual Pres. Raises $550K for Charity

Liberty Mutual will transition its more than 2,200 exclusive agent team in over 200 local sales offices countrywide to Comparion, providing consumers with expert advice and tailored auto, home and small commercial insurance options from Liberty Mutual and more than 50 other national and regional carriers. It will become fully operational in 2022, upon approval by state insurance regulators.

Mployer Advisor Receives $1.6M Investment Nashville-based health tech firm Mployer Advisor has secured a $1.6 million investment, according to a news release, led by Martin Ventures, with participation from other investors.

This is the second round of funding that Mployer – which helps businesses search and evaluate insurance brokers – has received from Martin Ventures in less than a year. In December, the Nashville-based investment firm invested an undisclosed amount in Mployer, with participation from Nashville health care veterans Trilliant Health CEO Hal Andrews, RevSpring CEO Scott MacKenzie and former Trilliant executive and current PYA Chief Development Officer Jeff Pate.

J.M. Wilson Adds Hotrum J.M. Wilson recently announced the addition of Amy Hotrum as Assistant Brokerage Underwriter in their Portage, Michigan, office. Hotrum is responsible for assisting underwriters with a wide variety of new and renewal brokerage risks, as well as strengthening relationships with independent insurance agents and company underwriters in all the states that the company serves.

Prior to joining JM Wilson, Hotrum was an Administrative Assistant for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for four years and a Claims Processor at State Farm Insurance for 17 years.

Builders Unveils New Branding Builders Insurance Group is celebrating its recent growth and expansion with a new brand identity and logo. They are also shortening their name to "Builders" to reflect their, "expertise in managing risks for businesses in a variety of industries including construction, The Tennessee Insuror

Harford Mutual Insurance Group is proud to announce its President and CEO, Steve Linkous, and his family recently went bald for an important cause. They raised not only awareness but a recordsetting $550,000 shaving their heads for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest non-government funder of childhood cancer research grants. The Linkous family is currently the top fundraising participant in 2021 for St. Baldrick’s and currently the number one fundraising family this year.

Alliance Interstate Risk Adds Monahan for TN ATA Comp Fund and Alliance Interstate Risk Service (AIR) has announced the addition of new team member, Patrick Monahan. He joins the team as Risk Manager for the Tennessee area and will be the Risk Manager for the out-ofstate, AIR program members.

Monahan was previously a risk management and safety consultant in Colorado.

Main Street America Earns IVANS Distinction Main Street America has received the “Silver” distinction as part of IVANS® Digital Insurer recognition program. IVANS recognizes insurers committed to supporting independent agents’ needs for digital connectivity. Becoming recognized demonstrates the ability to leverage modern technologies to support the growth of agency partners.

In order to qualify for the program, insurers must provide connectivity and automated information exchange with agency partners across the lifecycle of a policy – from marketing and quoting to servicing and renewals.

MEAA Hits the 150 Agency Mark Mountain Empire Agency Alliance (MEAA), a subgroup of the Strategic Independent Agency Alliance (SIAA) network, has announced that they now serve 150 members across their territory. SIAA is the largest insurance agency co-op in the world with over 5000 members writing over 5 billion dollars in premium and growing every year. MEAA is the Tennessee network of SIAA with over 50 members and writing over 100 million dollars in premium. Their territory includes parts of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina.

41

RLI Insurance Co. Announces New Leadership RLI recently announced that Craig W. Kliethermes has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer and Jen Klobnak as Chief Operating Officer, effective January 1, 2022.

These leadership changes will coincide with the planned retirement of current company Chairman & CEO Jonathan Michael at the end of 2021. Jon will remain Chairman of the Board following his retirement as CEO. Kliethermes has served as President and COO since 2016.

Previously, he served as Senior Vice President, Risk Services since 2013. Kliethermes joined RLI in 2006 and has 36 years of insurance industry experience. Prior to joining RLI, he served in various actuarial and leadership roles with Lockton Companies, GE Insurance/Employers Reinsurance and John Deere Insurance Company.

Klobnak has served as Senior Vice President, Operations since 2016. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President, Risk Services since 2014. Klobnak joined RLI in 2000 and has 21 years of insurance industry experience. Prior to joining RLI, she served in an audit role with PwC.

Selective Receives Ratings Upgrade from Best AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to A+ (Superior) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) to "aa-" (Superior) from "a+" (Excellent) of the pooled members of Selective Insurance Group (Selective).

These ratings reflect Selective’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

Acuity Named to Deloitte 75 Acuity is named to the Deloitte Wisconsin 75, the annual program honoring the state's largest closely held firms for their impact on Wisconsin's economy. In Acuity’s 15th year on the list, the insurer is ranked at number 22.

Companies in Wisconsin’s private sector play a key role in powering the state’s economy and communities. Each year, Deloitte recognizes the largest and most successful companies in the state.

In a message to the Wisconsin 75, PJ DiStefano, Wisconsin Managing Partner of Deloitte LLP, said, “The Wisconsin 75 also show an unwavering commitment to the communities we live in and to your employees. Your companies are built on a culture of caring and giving back. You’re weaving diversity, inclusion, and equity into your corporate strategies to boost innovation and promote fairness. And you’re balancing 42

economic growth and environmental management to achieve sustainability and preserve resources for future generations.”

West Bend Recognized for Multiple Honors West Bend Mutual Insurance Company was recently honored with several best company/best workplace honors from national organizations, including America's Best Insurance Companies 2022, America’s Best-In-State Employers, and America’s Best Employers for Women, all by Forbes; as well as Best Workplaces for Millennials™ by Fortune and Great Place to Work®.

Builders Mutual Promotes Guardrail Safety The 2nd annual national Guardrail Safety Week was held October 18-22, 2021. Builders Mutual Insurance Company, a leading writer of commercial insurance for the construction industry in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, joined forces with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), JobSite Safety Institute (JSI) and Safety Maker to promote the initiative. Our collective intent is to raise awareness of the importance of guardrails and to encourage consistent use on job-sites to save lives and send more people – both workers and job-site visitors – home at the end of the day.

UFG Announces Search for New CFO UFG recently announced that Dawn M. Jaffray, Executive VP and CFO, has resigned from UFG. Ms. Jaffray notified UFG that she has accepted an opportunity to serve as CFO for another company within the insurance industry. UFG has appointed Kevin W. Helbing and Randy L. Patten to serve as Interim CoCFOs as the organization executes its search for a new CFO.

Lemonade Set to Acquire Metromile Digital insurer Lemonade plans to acquire pay-per-mile auto insurance startup Metromile in an all-stock transaction as it aggressively continues expansion plans. With the M&A agreement, the New York-based InsurTech stands to gain a national foothold in car insurance, on top of its expanding presence in home, renters, pet and life insurance.

PURE Promotes Vicino to Head of Service The PURE Insurance Group of Companies has announced that Kristen Vicino was recently promoted to Head of Service. She joined PURE in 2019 as part of the claims leadership team.

In addition to focusing on creating a seamless experience for PURE members and brokers, Vicino helps lead the PURE United employee resource group, providing colleagues with resources and encouragement to act with purpose in support of underrepresented communities at PURE. u The Tennessee Insuror

2021 JM Wilson CF TN Insuror.indd 1

4/1/21 4:37 PM

At Stonetrust, we know a little something about showing up when it matters most, and we strive to always be there for the independent insurance agents and policyholders that trust us with their business.

Along with offering workers’ compensation and employers’ liability insurance, Stonetrust works to help companies prevent accidents and remain Stonetrust Safe - an entire system of in-house processes

and services designed to achieve safety goals and keep premiums and claim costs down.

800.311.0997

STONETRUSTINSURANCE.COM The Tennessee Insuror

43

2021 Conferees

PREMIUM FINANCE MEETS INDUSTRY-LEADING TECHNOLOGY

Each year, we recognize the industry professionals who have attained designations from our education partners at The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. The following individuals earned these designations in the last year: New Certified Insurance Consultants (CIC) David Clark, CIC RSS Insurance Chattanooga Lyndie Cummings, CIC Hardin County Bank Insurance Savannah Andrew Fenton , CIC Erie Insurance Hendersonville Robert Jackson, CIC McDonald Insurance and Financial Services Franklin Grant James, CIC DeKalb County Insurance Smithville Emily Kirk, CIC Gallagher Nashville Kari Midgett, CIC Wilis Towers Watson Nashville Chadwick Richardson, CIC Swallows Insurance Cookeville New Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR) Erica Cox, CISR McDaniel-Whitley Inc. Memphis Lyndsey Everett, CISR HUB Midsouth Memphis Amber Hamaker, CISR BFS Insurance Clarksville Ashley Iroler, CISR 7 Insurance Harriman Thu Nguyen, CISR Memphis Congratulations to all these insurance professionals! u 44

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The Tennessee Insuror

The Tennessee Insuror

45

Agents for the Community

presented by

Watauga Insurance • Johnson City In this series, Penn National Insurance and Insurors are recognizing some of the work our members do for their communities. During Convention, the new "Penn National Agents for the Community" Award will be presented to one of the featured agencies.

The Insuror: Why is community service such an important part of your agency?

Watauga Ins.: For 47 years, Watauga Insurance has been serving the community. Whether it be through protecting business or families, service is what we do, it’s in our DNA. So it’s only natural to serve our community in different ways. Community service creates a better sense of inclusion and understanding to what is happening in our area. The end goal is to help others which makes our community a better place to live.

The Insuror: What are some of the main causes/ groups you support? How and why did you get started with them?

Watauga Ins.: The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) of Johnson City/ Washington Co. and Lions Club of Johnson City are the two we’ve had the longest connection with. Our CEO, Ed Gibbons, is a past president and now on the Advisory Board of BGC while our president, Josh Gibbons, has served on their Board for over 15 years, serving as President three times in that span. Josh was a Club kid for sports growing up and still wants to help kids achieve their full potential, especially those less fortunate. Ed’s experience with the Lions Club dates over 40 years.

for screenings to hopefully identify kids who might have an eye problem or just need glasses in order to help them learn).

Other organizations we support through our time, money or talent are The Salvation Army, The Coalition for Kids, Rise Up!, Girls, Inc., LXI, Steppenstone Youth Treatment Services, and Science Hill High School – just to name a few.

The Insuror: What do you think it means to clients to see their insurance agent involved in their community?

Watauga Ins.: In our opinion, quiet support without accolade can go a lot further for your reputation. Being involved in your community shows commitment to serving others. When a client sees that you’re engaged and plugged in to making things better for the right reasons, hopefully they would value the effort and build a stronger relationship, especially if that client has a similar passion and calling to serve.

The Insuror: Do you feel this service work adds to the "staff culture" of your agency?

Watauga Ins.: Absolutely! Serving others takes the focus off of "self". At times we can get so caught up in our own issues, but when you truly focus on serving the needs of others – or help others that may be less fortunate – it can be very humbling and helpful in putting things in perspective. Our agency prides itself on relationships and service. Community service adds to these strengths and makes us a better team, for each other and to our clients.

The Insuror: How could our industry as a whole do a better job of supporting the communities they insure?

Ed Gibbons (R) with fellow Lions Club volunteers

A few ways we help the Lions Club is through their annual Pecan sale (we just had 75 cases of pecans delivered to the office which we now must distribute to various members), eye screening applications (our staff answered almost 300 calls last year for folks needing assistance with eye exams and glasses), and kids eye screenings (Ed and Josh have gone to numerous elementary and middle schools, daycares, and head starts 46

Watauga Ins.: We think the carriers do a good job of serving the communities in which they’re located. And in Tennessee our independent agency system does a great job of supporting each other during catastrophic times (floods, tornadoes, wildfires). There is, and always will be, great need out there. Perhaps, companies could ask their agents about what are the greatest needs in their communities and find a way to support those causes that address those needs.

The Insuror: Thank you for giving us your time, and we appreciate the work you're doing.

Watauga Ins.: Thank you, and to Penn National, for highlighting the ways our industry is making our communities better. u The Tennessee Insuror

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Engaging and Retaining Employees ...continued from page 12 are making big decisions, such as looking for new jobs. Employers should also be honest about the changes taking place with the business, whether it relates to clients, products, services, protocols, finances or staffing, that have impacted employees.

2) Check in with your employees regularly. Before employees return to the office, find out what life looks like for them now and have an honest dialogue about their concerns. After they return, continue to check in to make sure things are going well and make adjustments as needed.

3) Review the possibility of remote or hybrid work arrangements. The vast majority of workers (98%) want to stay remote either full-time or as part of a hybrid arrangement, according to a FlexJobs survey. Reasons include not having to commute (84%) and cost savings (75%) with 38% estimating they are saving at least $5,000 a year working remotely.

Employers who want employees in the office should explain the job-related necessity and, if at all possible, try to make some more flexible arrangements to retain these employees.

If they cannot work remotely all, part, or any of the time, acknowledge that too and perhaps provide an off-setting benefit such as free lunches or flexible scheduling.

4) Address employee concerns, especially with health and safety. The FlexJobs survey also showed employees' primary concerns surrounding the return to the office included exposure to COVID-19 (49%), lack of COVID-19 health and safety measures (32%) and being required to adhere to health and safety measures (21%).

When you implement and enforce the guidelines set by experts and legal authorities, not only are you abiding by the legal regulations but you also are assuring hesitant employees of your commitment to safety, while also creating a zerotolerance policy your resistant employees know they need not waste time in thwarting.

5) Establish and enforce job, performance and availability expectations. Whether an employee is in person, remote or hybrid, and regardless of their position in the company, you should hold them accountable for doing their job duties, communicating with co-workers and managers, and being available for clients and meetings.

Focus on availability, not attendance. If needed, reevaluate the job duties to accommodate where they are working or what they want to do. That way, employees are less likely to feel bored and discontent.

6) Establish clear channels of communication throughout the company. Companies function best when everyone is communicating clearly, and this is even more important when some employees are remote. While walking to someone's 48

desk may have been the norm before, now there needs to be structure and planning.

Video and phone conferencing can be an efficient way to schedule meetings, send invites and track attendance. Instant messaging or texting may be a new way of getting a quicker answer.

7) Respect personal time and needs. Be mindful when work demands extend beyond the employee's day and try to restrict or discourage emails and voicemails outside work hours.

Everyone needs time away from work whether to relax and recharge, attend a kid's soccer match, or just go to the grocery store. It may be harder for employees who work from home to truly check out from work—and if they are non-exempt, they probably need to be paid for that time.

Encourage all employees to unplug so they can focus when back at work.

8) Be flexible. COVID-19 is not going away any time soon. We will all have to continue to make adjustments. Employees will get sick or must care for people who are sick. Employees will have to quarantine or stay home with a child who is quarantining. Understand that employees must take care of their families first. The more flexible you can be, the more they will feel supported and ready to work when they can.

9) Allow employees to have some fun at work. While potlucks may be out of the question for a while, you can still give employees a chance to have fun at work. Hold a spirit day where people can wear their school or team colors. Sponsor a group to participate in a local charity event. Surprise employees with a half-day off when things are slow. Celebrate birthdays and special occasions with cupcakes and cookies. Find out what your employees value and work them into your plans.

10) Consider the big picture. While many employers may wonder how they will be able to add this to their long to-do list, it is important to balance the effort that engaging employees requires with the possibility of those employees leaving the company.

Often it is easier to accommodate a current employee's temporary needs than recruit, hire and train a new employee, which is even more difficult in today's labor market.

About the Author Paige McAllister is vice president, HR compliance, Affinity HR Group Inc. Affinity HR is the endorsed HR partner of Big “I" Hires, the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia, Big I New York, Big I New Jersey and Big I Connecticut.

As you navigate the uncertain business landscape, reach out to Affinity HR Group by visiting its website, connecting over email or by calling 877.660.6400. u The Tennessee Insuror

ONE SIZE FITS ONE.

Selective is committed to working with independent agents in Tennessee just like you. Together, we can provide Commercial, Personal, and Flood coverage for each unique customer.

Contact Dan Schilling, Territory Manager, at dan.schilling@selective.com and help your customers Be Uniquely Insured.

© 2021 Selective Ins. Group, Inc., Branchville, NJ. Products vary by jurisdiction, terms, and conditions and are provided by Selective Ins. Co. of America and its insurer affiliates. Details at selective.com/about/ affiliated-insurers.aspx. SI-21-037

The Tennessee Insuror

49

“I had high expectations and they were met.”

- Beth Gardner, COO, Cook, Maran & Associates

The problem: A backlog of work.

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50 38

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TheThe Tennessee TennesseeInsuror Insuror

Meetings Winter and Meetings Are Just Ahead Southern Agents Conference December 3-5 The annual Southern Agents Conference will take place at The Whitley Buckhead in Atlanta on December 3-5. The conference is a great opportunity for agency leaders from across the southeast to discuss opportunities to advance the independent agency system.

The agenda includes meetings on Association Products, Commercial Lines, Education, Legislative Affairs, Personal Lines, and Technology. There will also be leadership meetings for National Directors, State Execs, State Officers, and Young Agents.

Get more information on the event and register now at https://www.southernagents.com/

Big I Winter Meeting January 5-8, 2022 The 2022 Big I Winter Meeting will take place January 5-8 at the Trump National Doral in Miami. The meeting will feature the Big I Executive Committee and Board meetings, Trusted Choice and TrustedChoice.com meetings, Government Affairs and Insurpac National updates, as well as State Lobbyist meetings.

Get more information on the event now at https://www. independentagent.com/Events/WinterBoardMeeting/ Schedule%20of%20Events/ScheduleofEvents.aspx

Big I Legislative Conference April 27-29, 2022 The Big I Legislative Conference will return in-person on April 27-29 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. The event will feature meetings with elected officials, special guest speakers, informative sessions on legislation impacting our industry, and more. There will also be time scheduled for meetings with some of your elected officials and their staff members.

This event is a great opportunity to get an up close look at the government relations work our National Association does to sustain a strong and competitive insurance industry in America.

Could your agency weather a data security breach?

A full 80 percent of businesses that experience one don’t.1 The right insurance can keep your agency from becoming part of this startling statistic.

Data breaches are common among smaller businesses, and responding to a breach is both costly and complex.

You are obligated to protect the data you collect, and package policies are often not enough.

Make sure your agency has the right coverage in place to protect you and your insureds.

Contact your Insurors E&O Specialist, Stephen Holmes, CIC, CISR, for information on Data Breach coverage.

1. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: Chronology of Data Breaches

Stephen Holmes, CIC, CISR sholmes@insurors.org 615.515.2609

Get more information or register now at https://www. independentagent.com/Events u The Tennessee Insuror

51

We’re making workers’ comp as easy as pie.

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We can schedule rate policies regardless of size to save your clients more.

We auto-decide 73 percent of class codes so you’re not waiting for a response.

Ready to partner with Pie? partnerwithpie.com/tn2021

Member Tips 5 Holiday Marketing Tips from Eleanor Hecks, Designerly The sales period between Black Friday and New Year's Day is one of the busiest for most merchants. For retailers, the upcoming holiday sales season is forecast to increase by 2.7% to $1.093 trillion, according to eMarketer. E-commerce will make up about 18.9% of overall holiday sales.

How can independent agents bolster their brand and boost sales this holiday season? Some creative marketing will help. If you want a slice of the pie, you must plan now for your holiday season marketing. Here are four ways to drive sales: 1) Plan your social media calendar. Write out the major holidays your target audience celebrates. Your calendar might include themes such as Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve. Once you have an idea of some of the days you want to cover in your social media posts, it's much easier to choose content to share.

Use scheduling software to schedule posts for those days.

The holidays are busy, so the sooner you can schedule your social media posts, the more you can focus on your customers. Set it and forget it, unless something comes up that you must inform customers about immediately.

2) Make customers' lives easier. The average consumer spends $997.79 on gifts during the holidays, according to the National Retail Federation. Tap into these trends by offering coverage for home contents, such as jewelry and other major purchases.

3) Embrace the season. While there may be a few Grinches in the mix, most people adore the holiday season and the traditions that go with it. If you own a brick-andmortar store, you can create seasonal window displays to draw in customers. Place signs outside the store to greet them and let them know about holiday specials.

4) Tell a story. November and December are excellent months to recap what you've accomplished as a business in the last year. Share a story about something you're proud of. Use the opportunity to embrace a cause and enlist their help.

5) Ask. The holidays are filled with opportunities to show the world who you are as a brand. Ask what your customers' pain points are for the holidays and how you can fix problems. Reach out to your most loyal fans and ask them to spread the word. u

Directory of Advertisers Advertiser

Phone

Website

Page

ACUITY (920) 458 - 9131 www.acuity.com 7 Alliance Interstate Risk (334) 834 - 7911 www.allianceinterstaterisk.com 32 Arlington/Roe (800) 878 - 9891 www.arlingtonroe.com 2 Bailey Special Risks, Inc. (800) 768 - 7475 www.bsrins.com 12 Berkley Southeast Insurance Group (615) 932 - 5508 www.berkleysig.com 19 Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Cos. (800) 673 - 2465 x4567 www.guard.com/apply 22 Builders Mutual (800) 809 - 4859 www.buildersmutual.com 33 Foremost Insurance (800) 771 - 7758 foremostagent.com/get-appointed/ 55 ePayPolicy (844) 372 - 9300 www.epaypolicy.com 47 Genesee General/Jencap (800) 282 - 8755 www.geneseeins.com 33 Harford Mutual (800) 638 - 3669 www.harfordmutual.com 45 Imperial PFS (443) 613 - 4820 www.ipfs.com 44 INSBANK (866) 866 - 4268 www.insbanktn.com 11 J.M. Wilson (800) 595 - 0063 www.jmwilson.com 43 Keystone Insurers Group (800) 416 - 5498 www.keystoneinsgrp.com 40 Liberty Mutual/Safeco (800) 837 - 5254 libertymutual.com | safeco.com 30 Lipscomb & Pitts | A Higginbotham Partner (901) 335 - 0951 www.lpinsurance.com 20 LUBA Workers' Comp (888) 884 - 5822 www.lubawc.com 9 Markel Specialty (800) 431 - 1270 www.markelcorp.com 22 MidSouth Mutual Insurance Company (844) 438 - 6642 www.midsouthmutual.com 26 Mountain Empire Agency Alliance (423) 560 - 6077 www.meaa4u.com/insurors 15 National Alliance (800) 633 - 2165 www.scic.com 55 National Security Group (800) 239 - 2358 x213 www.nationalsecuritygroup.com 26 Nationwide Insurance (423) 927 -2060 www.nationwide.com 17 Penn National Insurance (800) 395 - 0518 www.pennnationalinsurance.com 56 Pie Insurance (855) 270 -7445 partnerwithpie.com/tn2021 52 Previsor Insurance (800) 442 - 0593 www.previsorinsurance.com 16 RLI PUP (615) 515 - 2609 www.insurors.org 8 SecureRisk (770) 723 - 8096 www.securerisk.com 38 Selective Insurance (877) 744 - 3125 www.selective.com 49 Stonetrust Insurance (800) 311 - 0997 www.stonetrustinsurance.com 43 Summit Holdings (800) 971 - 2667 www.summitholdings.com 13 Swiss Re Lawyer's Professional Liability (630) 213 - 9952 www.swissre.com 36 Titan Digital (615) 890 - 3600 www.titanwms.com 24,32 West Bend Mutual Insurance Co. (800) 236 - 5010 www.thesilverlining.com 34 WAHVE (646) 807 - 4372 www.wahve.com 50

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A BETTER INSURANCE EXPERIENCE®

Foremost® – A Farmers Insurance® Company offers a robust product suite!

Deliver A Better Insurance Experience with Foremost Choice® Property & Casualty, Foremost SignatureSM Auto & Home, and Bristol West® Auto.

Visit ForemostAgent.com/Get-Appointed/

A Better Insurance Experience.

®

Not all products, coverages and discounts are available in all areas. 9021126 7/21

We answer to main street, not Wall Street.

As a mutual company, we are owned by our policyholders. We focus our

For more information about our products, please contact one of our territory managers at 615-889-2740.

Andy Wilder 7528 Brent Pottsext. ext 7514 Brent Potts ext.

7614 Jane Kinard ext 7518

Jane Kinard ext. 7618 Bob Reeder ext 7545

time, attention, and resources on delivering superior financial strength and stability, a comprehensive product portfolio, and most of all, on doing what’s right for policyholders. To us, policyholders are much more than insurance consumers. And because of that, all of our business decisions are made with a policyholder-first focus.

www.PennNationalInsurance.com