Awards

      HOUSTON, Texas, September 27, 2012 – Pathfinder / LL&D continues FOR THE 9th YEAR in a row to be part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) “Best Practices” Study Group.

      The agencies comprising the study group are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a “Best Practices Agency” designation. The selected “Best Practices” agencies retain their status during the three-year cycle by submitting extensive financial and operational data for review each year. Only 195 independent agencies throughout the U.S. retained their status for 2012.

      The Best Practices Study was initiated by IIABA in 1993 as the foundation for efforts to improve agency performance. The annual study of leading independent insurance agencies, which is conducted for IIABA by Reagan Consulting of Atlanta, Ga., documents the business practices of these “best” agencies and urges others to adopt similar practices.

      To assist agencies in adopting Best Practices, IIABA has developed a family of products, service and workshops known as the Best Practices Implementation Series. The series includes materials such as the Agency Self-Diagnostic Tool, Agency/Company Joint Planning Tool Quick Step, and Top Producers: Discover, Train, Reward. Additional studies and tools are added periodically. The publications include guidelines, worksheets, and case studies to help agents apply the information contained in each report.

      In addition to the written materials, hundreds of workshops and seminars have been conducted at various producer association functions, company sponsored agency meetings and national automation users group conventions.

      The IIABA and Reagan Consulting jointly maintain the Best Practices Gateway website (http://bp.reaganconsulting.com) that provides executive summaries of the annual Best Practices Studies, the Best Practices Quick Check calculator, an interactive comparison tool, and samples from the various Best Practices tools. The Gateway, as well as the annual study, is made possible in part through the financial sponsorship of various insurance companies and industry organizations.

      The 2012 Best Practices Study sponsors include: Applied Systems, Addis Intellectual Capital, Central Insurance Companies, Chubb, EMC Insurance Companies, ENCOMPASS Insurance, Erie Insurance, Great American Insurance Group, The Hanover Insurance Group, Harleysville Insurance, Imperial PFS, InsurBanc, Kemper Preferred, Liberty Mutual Corporation, Ohio Mutual, and Zurich North America.

      The progenitor of Pathfinder / LL&D Insurance Group was founded in 1913 and represents over 40 insurance companies.

      For more information on the Best Practices Study, contact Jennifer Becker at IIABA, 1-800-221-7917.

      Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance – property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement precuts.
www.independentagent.com

9/30/2011 - September 19, 2011 issue of Insurance Journal

     Pathfinder LL&D has been given the honor of being recognized as one of "America's Best Independent Agencies to Work For" in their recent September 19, 2011 issue.

     Pick yourself up a copy and see for yourself!

9/30/2011 - IIABA Best Practices in the September 2011 issue of Independent
       Agent

     We've been esteemed once again by IIABA along with Reagan Consulting with the distinction of "2011 Best Practices Agency" with a select group of other independent agencies nation wide in a two page spread in Independent Agent magazine.

     Thank you IIABA!

8/25/2011 - IIABA Best Practices Recognizes Pathfinder LL&D for the 8th Year
       in a row!

We are pleased to confirm that Pathfinder LL&D has retained its Best Practices Agency status for 2011.

In August 2010 our firm was selected as a Best Practices Agency. We qualified by ranking among the top performers in the annual Best Practices Study conducted by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) and Reagan Consulting.

The purpose of the Best Practices Study is to compile the operating statistics of the country’s leading agents and brokers. To achieve this objective, the agencies included in the annual study must first be nominated for participation by an insurance carrier or an IIABA state affiliated association. The agency must then submit detailed financial and operational information which is analyzed, scored, and ranked objectively for inclusion in the study on the basis of operational excellence including growth, profitability, productivity and financial stability.

To retain our Best Practices Agency status we must submit our year-end results for review each year. Every third year, when new agency nominations are accepted, we must re-qualify as one of the top performers in our revenue category. We are pleased to have retained our Best Practices Agency status since 2003!

Participation in the Best Practices Study has become a prestigious recognition of the superior accomplishments of the top insurance agencies in each of the revenue size categories studied. Last year, which marked the start of a new three-year cycle, more than 1,200 agencies were nominated. Only 224 qualified for the study group. Our inclusion with these outstanding agents and brokers clearly recognizes us as an industry leader.

Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products.
www.independentagent.com

2/18/2011 - Pathfinder LL&D – Applied Systems Best Practices Distinction

Congratulations on Your Agency's Best Practices Distinction!
"We've heard the good news, and we want to congratulate you! We know it took a lot of hard work to join the ranks of the prestigious 224 Best Practices Agencies for 2010. Know that you have our full support. We want to help you continue to expand, grow and prosper. We're confident that Applied Systems solutions will help you achieve and exceed your goals. We hope you use our automation systems to the fullest to maximize your profitability. If you have any questions regarding our products, please let us know. We're here to support you.

Learn more on how Applied Systems supports its Best Practices agencies.

Again, congratulations on your achievement.
To your continued success!"

Pathfinder LL&D – IIAB Best Practices 2010 Award Recognition from
       Utica National Insurance Group

Pathfinder LL&D – Local Agency Included In IIABA’s Best Practices Study

      Houston, Texas, 9/28/2010 – Pathfinder/LL&D Insurance Group is part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) “Best Practices” Study Group.

      Each year since 1993, IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, join forces to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories. The agencies comprising the study groups are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a “Best Practices Agency” designation. The selected “Best Practices” agencies retain their status during the three-year cycle by submitting extensive financial and operational data for review each year.

      “It is truly humbling to have our staff recognized for 7 out of the last 10 years as one of the best insurance agent’s country wide,” says Scott West, Pathfinder/LL&D president and CEO. “This is a high bar of excellence that we live up to every day in helping our customers reach their goal of affordable, comprehensive insurance.”

      More than 1,200 independent agencies throughout the U.S. were nominated to take part in the annual study, but only 224 agencies qualified for the honor. To be chosen, the agency had to be among the 35-40 top-performing agencies in one of six revenue categories.

      The agency was nominated by either an IIABA affiliated state association or an insurance company and qualified based on its operational excellence.

      The Best Practices Study was initiated by IIABA in 1993 as the foundation for efforts to improve agency performance. The annual survey and study of leading independent insurance agencies documents the business practices of the “best” agencies and urges others to adopt similar practices.

      The progenitor of Pathfinder/LL&D Insurance Group was founded in 1913 and represents over 40 insurance companies.

      For further information, please contact Scott West of Pathfinder/LL&D Insurance Group at 281-556-9999.

      Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance – property, casualty, life and health – as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagents.com.