Times are tough, insurance is competitive, and the independent agency business isn't what it used to be. No matter–agency owners who are creative, determined and look toward the future are not only surviving hard times, they're thriving.

The five winning agencies in the ninth annual National Underwriter/American Agent & Broker Commercial Agency Awards for Excellence program personify that business model. They may not be setting profit records, (although some have posted respectable revenue increases over 2008), but they're doing just fine–even in regions of the country that have had more than their share of misery.

The winners and finalists were profiled in the Oct. 4 edition of NU and the November issue of AA&B. We spoke with executives from the five winning agencies about their formulas for success and where they see trends heading in the future. Their insights are provided below.

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