Third Quarter 2005   Volume 12 Number 2

Meet one of Penn-America’s general agency partners.

When it comes to insurance, Alpharetta, Georgia, just 20 miles north of downtown Atlanta, is aptly named. From the Greek words for “first” and “town,” this wealthy bedroom community is, according to Wes Duesenberg, Jr, president and CEO of Southern Insurance Underwriters, Inc., the first-choice town for many insurance carriers, “the insurance Mecca of the Southeast.” It’s no wonder that companies like The Hartford, Travelers, Nationwide, Allstate, SIU and State Farm consider this town as their Southern headquarters: though it’s within easy reach of the big city, it provides a quality of life unmatched by many cities of its size.

It’s no wonder, either, that Penn-America’s and SIU’s values are in lockstep. Says Wes, “We share the same values of discipline and integrity. The Penn-America people are very good at communicating exactly the business they want so we try to give them that. If they make a promise, they deliver on it. They really consider us to be business partners and they constantly invest in building the partnership. They solicit feedback – and they actually listen and respond to it.”

Like Penn-America, SIU has family roots. Wes, son of the 1964 founder, now leads a staff of 187 people in this $125-million group of businesses that includes two offices of the general agency, a finance company, a casualty company, a claims service and a standard- insurance general agency. Despite its size, Wes notes, “It’s a family affair here. My son, my sister and her son-in-law are in the business. I’d guess there are at least 25 people here who are related to one another.” Wes offers an example of the benefits of this family atmosphere: “We have one lady who has worked here for 33 years. Since we moved here from the city, she commutes 68 miles one-way to work!”

SIU hasn’t been so successful just because it’s a nice place to work. (Its building does back-up to a nature preserve in which deer and beaver are often seen by the creek that flows through it.) Wes is quick to point out another factor in the agency’s success and its perfect “fit” with Penn-America: “We are very automated and we’re very happy that Penn-America is, too. They are among the top automated carriers from a general agency standpoint. They help us to reduce our costs by maximizing Internet technology, including providing an online manual, business reports and policy ratings and issuance. It’s one of the many reasons we expect that our business with them will go from $2 million this year to $5 million within three years.”

Wes is bullish on the future because of Penn-America’s new ownership: “The merger of Penn-America and United National is a strong move. By taking the positive aspects of each company and combining them, there is now an excellent framework for moving forward. Their market is stable, the staff is knowledgeable, the management is solid and the relationships are invaluable. All these aspects make for an excellent business relationship – and we like doing business with them, too.

Judging from the success of the SIU/Penn-America relationship, the feeling is clearly mutual.