Christa Lannom – Page 42

MAX Featured Agent: Tom Petti at InsureitOhio in Madison County, OH

We value our MAX Agency Partners and this month we would like to introduce you to one of them – Tom Petti at InsureitOhio in Madison County, Ohio. Phil Blount, our Regional Sales Manager, asked Tom some questions about his agency and why they choose MAX for many of their clients. Check it out:

Q: What do you like about MAX?

A: MAX is a great insurance company to place business with. There are enough coverage options and products available to suit most risk profiles, and do it at a competitive price. However, once you get passed the nuts and bolts of product and price, the people of MAX are what really make the company a joy to write for. Over the years I have had one good experience after another whether it be billing, claims, underwriting, or simply a customer service call.

Q: In what ways does your agency support your community?

A: Our agency believes that being involved in the local community is important. It really sets the local agent apart from the large direct writers. We participate in local Chambers of Commerce, COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises), and the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. I also attend many community events in a more unofficial capacity. Sometimes it’s nice to just be out and seen in the community without always having to be there for business attracting purposes. My wife and I go to local fairs, school sporting events, and are members of some local clubs.

Q: Why do you believe someone should use an Independent Agent?

A: Placing business through an independent agent is not for everyone. There is certainly a place for the large, impersonal direct writers and the customers they serve. However, if an individual sees value in having a local person to person relationship with an insurance professional that is actually motivated to provide a proper insurance package for them, the independent agent is the way to go.

Q: What are some coverage issues that you are seeing right now that you want your customers to be aware of?

A: One of our main jobs is to educate the customers we serve. Water back up is many times one of those optional coverages that people don’t know they need until something bad happens. Many times, after explaining what this coverage is for and why they really should have at least a modest amount, the customers are happy to add it to their policy. Auto liability limits are also an issue. For many agents, we’ve been writing 100/300 for a long time. This may have been adequate ten or fifteen years ago, but with the ever increasing costs of medical care, it does not go as far as it used to. We like to offer 250/500 along with an optional umbrella, at least for conversation and customer education.

Tiny Houses

By Mark Files, Regional Sales Manager

Tiny Houses….what are they? Why would you want one? What’s the big deal with this little living idea? Needless to say, I had a lot more questions than answers when I got asked about insuring Tiny Houses.

When I was 12 years old, I experienced what one could compare to the current Tiny House experience. My folks were building a new home and it wasn’t ready for us to move in by the time we moved out of our old house that had been sold. So for 60 glorious or torturous days my family of four lived in a 32 foot fifth wheel camper on my grandparent’s farm. Quarters were cramped, we were limited on the clothes we had access to, and needless to say there wasn’t much space to lounge around in the camper. (Did I mention this happened during the summer months of July/August/September?) We made it work but wow, I can remember how happy all four of us were glad to be in our new house. When I look back, it wasn’t that bad and could have been much worse. After laughing about this adventure with my Mom she let us know 60 days was supposed to have been two weeks…..

So let’s start from the beginning, what’s a Tiny House? Well there are three versions: Trailer, Foundation and Hybrid. Thanks to the Tiny House Blog and their book review “Tiny House Parking,” by Ethan Waldman, the book provides more detail about each type, benefits of each and also the pitfalls.

Here are some highlights from the book review:

A Trailer Tiny House will likely be deemed as a “temporary structure”, much like an RV. Local regulations may only allow you to live in your tiny house for a month at a time. Checking your local regulations not only about length of parking, but the size of it will be a must. If you like to travel, a tiny house on a trailer will give you that freedom.
A Foundation Tiny House means you will more than likely need to purchase land, which will increase your costs. You will also be tied to one place, but the upside is you will have more options when it comes to the shape and size of your tiny house compared to one built on a trailer.
A Hybrid Tiny House is built on a semi-permanent foundation that can be transported when necessary, much like a park-model mobile home. This flexibility is indeed a plus. Checking local regulations about how long you can live in the tiny house is a must.

Here’s my take of the Tiny House fad:

Tiny houses are a new version of Modular, Mobile Homes and RV’s. Though the mortgage process has relaxed somewhat, the industry has tried to capitalize on the restricted access to loanable dollars. It also plays to the dissatisfaction some Americans are expressing with the way the country is being run and the direction they believe it’s headed. Having a small mobile house makes it much easier to “stay below the radar” if the U.S. starts to waiver in their eyes.

Folks with an “environment first” mind set may see this housing option as a way to get in touch with nature and a way to do their part to reduce their environmental footprint.

The third group looking to utilize the Tiny Home model is the entrepreneur. This group has found a way to market tiny homes as “Granny Pods” aka Mother-in-law quarters, “Tiny Towns” aka over 55 maintenance provided communities and “Tailgate Party Zones” aka tiny homes located on designated property on Major University Campus to help improve and control the fan experience.

I think it’s safe to say the “Tiny House” phenomenon is here to stay and will play a part in the landscape of the U.S. for years to come. If you can handle the tight quarters and find a place to park, it may be the way of the future.

About Mark Files

Mark Files Married, Father of 2.5 kids: son, daughter and son-in-law, Independent Insurance Agency Recruiter, Insurance Agent

Mark has worked at MAX for 6 years and has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry as an agent and company representative. After business hours, Mark likes to work on his smoking, grilling and cooking techniques, spend time on the lake boating and fishing, but most of all he enjoys relaxing at home with his wife and dogs. He also volunteers with several youth organizations at his church and in the community helping out when and where he can.

Photo by joncallas

Chelsea Avondale Continues MAX Canada Name, Personnel & Values as it Acquires Canadian Insurance Operations

CHELSEA AVONDALE CONTINUES MAX CANADA NAME, PERSONNEL & VALUES AS IT ACQUIRES CANADIAN INSURANCE OPERATIONS

(Kitchener, ON, December 1, 2016) – MAX North America announced that MAX Canada Insurance Company will continue to serve faith-based and Anabaptist communities following its sale to Chelsea Avondale. In addition, MAX Canada will continue to donate to the Mutual Aid Ministries. This is the pledge made by officers of Chelsea Avondale as they announced the purchase of the Canadian operations of MAX North America.

The purchase closed on November 30 and included acquisition of all MAX related operations in Canada including Mutual Aid Insurance Brokers Company (MAIBC). Both companies will continue to operate from their current locations. MAX Canada will retain its brand, values, brokers, and personnel and will continue to honour MAX Canada’s deeply held values.
Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

“We are deeply impressed by the MAX Canada team and their very special way of doing business,” said Nilesh Vasani, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer of Chelsea Avondale. “MAX Canada cares beyond the contract. We agree that’s the way insurance should be and that’s what we intend to do as we enhance, strengthen and extend the MAX name across Canada.”

“We have been seeking a partner that would help us strengthen and expand services for our Canadian policyholders,” said David Wine, President and CEO of MAX North America. “Chelsea Avondale is the perfect choice.”

Wine, who helped launch MAX North America in 2000, has agreed to stay on as President and CEO of MAX Canada during the transition. Elaine Shantz, current MAX Canada board chair, will also continue in that role under the new ownership.

John Lewis, Managing Director, Acquisitions and Operations of Chelsea Avondale added, “It is very important for us to listen carefully to those who established MAX to help us shape and frame the future with all the care and sensitivities of the legacy already established. I cannot begin to tell you how committed we are to continuing and expanding upon this special company. Chelsea Avondale will be investing significantly to provide MAX Canada with industry leading systems, investment management, enhanced staffing and access to capital to continue its growth.”

About Chelsea Avondale
Chelsea Avondale has been established to acquire property and casualty insurance companies and invest the assets of our subsidiaries following a value investing philosophy to deliver exceptional risk adjusted returns. We aim to improve performance through first class investment management, technology, systems and risk management frameworks.

We firmly believe that community-based insurers better serve their policyholders and outperform the industry as a whole. We approach our acquisitions of community-based insurers as partnerships with management, policyholders and all other stakeholders.

To learn more about Chelsea Avondale, visit www.ChelseaAvondale.com.

Contact: John Lewis
50 Queen Street North, Suite 860
Kitchener, ON N2H 6P4
416-357-5331
www.ChelseaAvondale.com

About MutualAid eXchange
MutualAid eXchange (MAX) is a unique, member-owned property and casualty insurance enterprise that offers a full range of competitively priced auto, homeowners, farm, business, life and related forms of insurance. MAX was founded on the principles of fairness, faith and social responsibility.

One thing that makes MAX special is that it devotes a portion of its revenues to a fund that helps people regain and sustain wholeness after an unexpected loss or tragedy. The company also follows socially responsible business practices including volunteerism by employees, cooperative ownership, sustainability and life-work balance.

To learn more about MAX, visit
www.maxinsurance.com.

Contact: Lisa Bage
4400 College Boulevard, Suite 250
Overland Park, KS 66211
877-971-6300
www.maxinsurance.com

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Ways to Prevent a Cooking Fire

Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner and that means cooking in the kitchen for most families. According to NFIRS and NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings. The following tips from the U.S. Fire Administration are ways you can prevent cooking fires in your home not only on Thanksgiving Day, but throughout the year:

Stand by your pan: If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
Watch what you are cooking: Fires start when the heat is too high. If you see any smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.
Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove: Then no one can bump them or pull them over.
Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby: Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire. This will put out the fire.
Wear short sleeves or roll your sleeves up.

We hope you stay safe in the kitchen and prevent a devastating cooking fire.

Help Change the World by Supporting Socially Responsible Companies

MAX EARNS COVETED B CORPORATION CERTIFICATION

Do you prefer doing business with socially responsible companies who respect their employees and customers, protect the environment and give back in their communities? If so, we’d like to tell you about B (Benefit) Corporation, an independent, non-profit organization that validates the claims of companies who say they are socially responsible; companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Warby Parker and MAX Insurance.

Today, nearly 2,000 companies world-wide have been certified B Corporations and we are proud to say that MAX Insurance is one of them. In fact, MAX ranks in the top 10% of B-Corps, and we are the only insurance company of our kind to earn this coveted designation.

MAX earned B Corporation certification because:

We help others in need through our Mutual Aid Ministries program,
We’re a cooperative that reports to our members not Wall Street, and,
We follow other fair, faithful and socially responsible business practices.

MEET OTHER B CORPORATIONS

Now, as an added value of your MAX membership, we’ll introduce you to other B-Corps. If you’re interested in their products or services, we invite you to contact them and let them know MAX told you about them. We receive no compensation or fees of any kind from these companies. It’s just our way of letting others know about this socially responsible business movement.

This month we’d like you to know about Home Free Baked Treats. Homefree ®, LLC seeks to make it easier for people with food allergies and most other special dietary needs to enjoy baked treats along with everyone else. Homefree bakes its “treats you can trust” in its own dedicated facility free of gluten and free of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs wheat and dairy, using allergen sourced and tested baking ingredients. Homefree is committed to making inclusive treats that are both delicious and healthful. All are 100% whole grain, non-GMO, and all natural or organic. Homefree is a certified Woman Owned Business with a commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Learn more at www.HomeFreeTreats.com

B-CORPS IN YOUR AREA

Click here for a directory of all the B-Corps across the U.S. and the world.

Thanks again for your support of MAX. We hope you’ll continue doing business with us and the many other socially responsible businesses who are trying to change the world by doing the right thing for our environment, our communities and our fellow man.

You can find more about MAX as a B-Corp at www.bcorporation.net.