Featured Affiliates

Illinois Casualty Company

For more than 70 years, Illinois Casualty Company has focused its energy and expertise on the food and beverage industry. “We have specialized in insuring bars and restaurants since our company was founded in 1950,” says Howard Beck, chief underwriting officer, Illinois Casualty Company. “Our team knows how to handle the unique claims that come from bars and restaurants.”

Illinois Casualty Company became a TLW affiliate member in January 2018 to support the tavern industry in Wisconsin. Specifically founded to provide insurance products and aggressive claims defense exclusively for the food and beverage industry, the company recognizes that establishments serving alcohol require unique insurance protection. Its goal is to meet the industry’s full range of business insurance needs, and its seven decades of dedication have helped the company earn the respect of its agents, policyholders and key industry organizations.

Over 90% of the company’s business comes from bars and restaurants, and it insures more than 5,000 restaurants, nightclubs, taverns, package liquor stores, fraternal organizations, banquet facilities, wineries, convenience stores and caterers. Illinois Casualty Company’s coverage options include business owners, liquor liability, property, general liability, umbrella and workers compensation.

Business owners insurance provides coverage for your business’ property, contents, income and liability to patrons and vendors. An exciting new offering is coverage for cyber loss built into every business owners policy. “It has become an increasing source of claims and litigation,” according to Beck.

Another type of coverage the company offers is liquor liability insurance, which provides coverage for liability resulting from selling or serving alcoholic beverages. This is available as a standalone policy for many types of businesses. Coverage also comes with a commitment to training. Its OnTAP server training focuses on providing clients with the facts up front, so they can conduct business in a way that reduces claims.

“Many insurance companies will insure your business,” says Beck. “We specialize in and focus on the food and beverage industry. If someone claims they were hurt on your premises or because of your actions, you want Illinois Casualty Company to be your insurance carrier.”

ILLINOIS CASUALTY COMPANY

225 20th St., Rock Island, IL 61201 (800) 445-3726 | ilcasco.com

Mass Appeal Inc.

Going into his 50th year in business, Tom Wilkinson continues to find ways to expand and innovate his business. He owns Mass Appeal in Green Bay, which offers custom screen-printing, embroidery and promotional products. Wilkinson is a long-time Tavern League affiliate member and participated in his first trade show in the mid-1970s.

“We offer thousands of advertising items to help promote your business,” says Wilkinson. His motto says it all: Your logo is our business! “Our showroom is a place where you can come to touch and feel the products we offer,” says Wilkinson. “When you come into our shop, it’s all organized and easy to find. The hardest part is making a choice.”

Mass Appeal is a massive operation. Wilkinson just bought a new facility that is three-fifths the size of a football field. He has one of the largest showrooms around, showcasing over 1,700 different garments; more than 300 caps and hats; and 3,000 promotional products like pens, glassware, bar chips, can koozies, business cards, first aid kits, keychains and more.

If the items available in Mass Appeal’s showroom aren’t enough, the company’s website offers more than 950,000 different items that can be imprinted with your business name or logo. The organization sells nationwide, and most of its business is repeat and referred by word of mouth. Because Mass Appeal deals with such a high volume and buys in bulk, Wilkinson can keep his price points lower than competitors and pass the discount onto his customers. “It’s a win-win situation and that is why we have so much repeat business,” he says.

In addition, recognizing that the East and West Coasts are always ahead of the Midwest in fashion styles, Wilkinson’s 50-year relationship with vendors allows him to purchase goods at a discount and then sell them here in the Midwest. Customers can also mix and match products to get quantity discounts. And while Mass Appeal is subject to some of the same supply chain issues all businesses are facing right now, its breadth of vendors allow it to make reasonable product substitutions to ensure customers get their products in a timely manner.

MASS APPEAL INC.

1566 Lineville Rd., Green Bay, WI 54313 (920) 469-2000 massappealinc.com

Northwoods Fire Protection

When someone has a fire emergency, they probably call the fire department or 911. When a business owner wants to avoid having a fire emergency, they call Northwoods Fire Protection.

A new TLW affiliate member, Northwoods Fire Protection offers an extensive list of fire protection services. The company delivers, inspects, maintains, tests and repairs all types of fire extinguishers. It installs and services all types of fire suppression systems. It provides hands-on staff training, and checks and services emergency and exit lighting. Emergency service is also available 24 hours a day. “We can provide everything you need to keep your properties and employees safe,” says owner Kerry Junk.

Junk is no stranger to the fire protection industry. Her parents ran a fire protection business in Manitowoc, and she recalls taking fire extinguishers to school for show and tell. Her husband, Steve Junk, worked for Kerry’s parents and, when they retired, Steve and Kerry went off on their own and started Northwoods Fire Protection 11 years ago. Based in Shawano, the company services businesses in the Northwoods, and northeastern and central Wisconsin.

This family-owned business offers 30 years of fire protection service experience. All technicians are trained and insured to follow federal, state and local codes. In addition, the company is a member of the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors and the National Fire Protection Association, which provides additional training and educational opportunities for employees.

“I am very big on training our employees to be sure they are up on the newest codes,” says Junk. “We want to keep customers updated and these associations provide us the tools we need to keep clients informed of the changing market.”

What makes this business successful is its commitment to dependability and trust. According to Junk, “Northwoods Fire Protection is committed to giving the most dependable service to maintain the trust that enables us to build lasting relationships with our customers and make them comfortable doing business with us.”

The company also aims to give customers a fair price by managing overhead. “Our overhead is not as big as a large corporation, so we can keep our prices low and competitive,” says Junk. “We strive to be cost-effective because we understand customers have a duty to maintain their fire protection equipment every year or twice a year. We want to give them great fire protection service at a great price.”

Northwoods Fire Protection also works around customers’ schedules, which in some cases, means working in the middle of the night. “If you need it done, we will do it on your time,” Junk emphasizes. After all, investing in and maintaining your business’ fire protection systems are critical to your long-term success.

“There’s no doubt that fire protection saves lives and property,” says Junk. “From suppression systems above your cooking area to fire extinguishers that are easy to access for your employees, they can be a lifesaver.” TLW

NORTHWOODS FIRE PROTECTION

Shawano (715) 851-6939 or (920) 323-9771 northwoodsfireprotection.com