News

Apparently everyone has come to the conclusion that summer is for vacations and winter has the holidays and bad weather, so the best possible time to schedule a company meeting or event must be April. I have tracked this phenomenon over the years and while I don’t think that I am becoming more popular, the number of meetings planned for April had me reeling. In just one month the Tuscano Agency was invited to Key West, Bay Hill Golf Club, the Dominican Republic, Williamsburg, VA, Augusta, GA, and Washington, DC. Add to this the Reading I Day, Central PA I Day, and Pittsburgh I Day, and many of us at the agency are a bit road-worn. While I did do my share of the traveling, Teri put the kybosh on any thought I had about doing it all! And if you happened to notice that I missed writing my mid-month newsletter last month, then I guess you now know my excuse (it wasn’t the printer who was on vacation, but the editor who was out and about.)

As I am sure you know, some of the company meetings we go to are informal and meant to build relationships and provide great face time with the decision-makers from both sides of the agency-company equation. Just like you, we never make the decision to place business with a carrier just because we are whisked away to an exotic place (or golf course). However, I do realize that placing business is easier when I have a relationship with a carrier or company person who knows my values and understands my needs. So I support the idea of going on these trips not because of where my staff or I might go, but because it gives us the chance to solidify the partnership which I believe makes us successful business people.

The added bonus is getting to meet some really great people. I recently spent the day with the claims manager at American Modern Insurance Group. As you know, Tuscano writes a considerable amount of business with AMIG on both the MGA/personal lines side and the Binding Authority Contract/commercial lines side. I am the token claims person in our office (I guess that makes Jeff Johnson the token legal counsel and Jeff DeMao the token actuary). Hanging out with Dave at the Master’s Golf Tournament was awesome in itself, but being with someone who is that knowledgeable was a real opportunity for me. Which proves Jinny’s theory that if you hang out with smart people you have a good chance of learning something.

Since I already work with a bunch of smart people on a daily basis, it only made sense for Tuscano to take our business model of exceptional customer service, solid carrier relationships, and professional underwriting expertise into the Professional Liability arena. It has been a little over a month since we launched our new professional liability division, aptly named TuscanoPro. It seems to me that in the 40 years Tuscano has been doing business, we have not written our share of the Professional Liability you have to place. Could this be because we are so well known as a Property & Casualty broker that we are often overlooked on the challenging professional case? Well, we are not willing to be overlooked anymore – TuscanoPro CAN do Professional Liability!

Along with May flowers, Spring also brings out the motorcycles and that is something that you all know we can do! Building Trade contractors seem to be getting back to work and our contractor markets are especially eager to write this business. And finally, when it comes time to get outdoors, don’t forget we write all types of Special Events.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to two very special women. Linda Edinger and Ina Siebert are both long-term employees of Tuscano. Ina has been our Personnel Manager for 25 years and Linda has been in commercial underwriting, most recently in the Small Business Unit, for nearly 20 years. Both will be retiring in May, and we will miss them and we know a great many of you will, too. Please join us in extending them hearty thanks and best wishes.

And while you are at it, do something incredible today.