At AHT, It’s All About Personal Service

At AHT, It’s All About Personal Service

By M.J. McAteer

Kate Armfield

In 2016, Middleburg was the local epicenter of a violent hail storm that wreaked memorable havoc on houses, businesses and vehicles large and small.

Treavor Lord, head of The Hill School, was on campus when the storm blew in and, within minutes of its passing, was outside to inspect the damage done by the icy, golf-ball-sized missiles. The school’s metal roofs were ruined, he said, “and all but two cars in the parking lot were totaled. It was a huge claim for Hill School.”

Almost immediately, Lord got a reassuring call from Kate Armfield of AHT Insurance.

“We’re here for you,” she told him, a rapid response that was gratifying, if no surprise. Hill School, which has had decades of experience with AHT, had come to expect a high level of personal service from the insurance broker.

“We really, really trust them,” Lord said.

Other clients obviously also have trusted AHT; the firm recently celebrated its 100th birthday. “Only a small percentage of companies make it to that number,” said Armfield, a managing partner in the firm who lives in Middleburg.

For most of its long history, AHT was largely a family affair. Armfield’s grandfather bought the Leesburg-based company in 1936 and her father, Howard, ran it until he retired about 15 years ago. Kate Armfield worked her way up through the ranks to her present leadership role.

Family-run did not equal small, however. AHT, which specializes in property and casualty insurance and employee benefits, recently was ranked No. 65 on Business Insurance magazine’s list of the top 100 brokers in the country. It’s become a national presence with nine offices, including Seattle and Chicago, and it has established a substantial footprint in downtown Washington, D.C.

“Over the years, it has been great to see people start their insurance careers at AHT and really become successful,” she added. “We’ve worked hard to set up the right type of support team and mentors to help people reach their goals as quickly as possible.”

AHT has 225 employees, and annual revenues exceeding $52 million.

In December, its principals decided it was time to start a new chapter, and the company was acquired by Baldwin Risk Partners, an insurance distribution firm.

Armfield said Baldwin “is like-minded” in its emphasis on taking care of clients and empowering employees.

Like AHT, Baldwin also is innovative and growing, but comes with access to far more resources and 1,500 employees.

Partnering with the larger company won’t affect AHT’s long-standing policy of customer service or its efforts to do good in the areas it serves. In Middleburg, for example, the firm supports Windy Hill, The Hill School and the Community Center. All employees also are given three paid days off every year for charitable work.

“We’re always trying to give back,” Armfield said. That commitment to client and community is matched by the firm’s emphasis on helping its own employees.

“Over the years, it has been great to see people start their insurance careers at AHT and really become successful,” she added. “We’ve worked hard to set up the right type of support team and mentors to help people reach their goals as quickly as possible.”

Armfield’s own original goal wasn’t a career in the insurance business.

“I studied politics,” she said, earning a degree in public policy from Duke University. Her first job out of school was as a personal assistant to Maureen Reagan. She then did opposition research for seven candidates for House seats, all of whom lost their races.

“Maybe it was not for me,” she said.

But the insurance business obviously has been for her. Armfield’s seat on the board of the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers along with various industry advisory organizations is testament to her expertise in the field. And recently, she marked her 28th year with AHT.

“The level of satisfaction[I get] can be a little mysterious to people,” she said, but she clearly puts a premium on it.