If an agency's strength is determined by its relationships with its insurers, then Berends Hendricks Stuit Insurance Agency Inc. (BHS) is going strong. This 25-year-old Michigan agency, which specializes in construction, was recently named one of the top 10 growing agencies by The Western Region of Auto-Owners Insurance Group, and has been recognized by several other insurers for both production and quality, including Humana Leaders Club, Priority Health Key Producer, Accident Fund, Grange Senior Partner Agency, a Cincinnati Presidents Circle Agency, a Diamond Club Agency, a Selective Presidents Club Agency and is a member of the 1885 Club.

BHS also has been accepted nationally as a “Best Practices” agency by the IIABA as one of the top 30 performing agencies in its revenue category for the past 12 years. In 2005, BHS was honored as Agency of the Year by the Accident Fund and Michigan Agent of the Year by Grange.

The agency has grown rapidly over the years, and in addition to its main office in Grandville, Mich., it has branch offices located in Holland, Mich., which serves both commercial and personal lines clients, and Byron Center, Mich., which exclusively services personal lines customers. BHS has acquired 95 staff members who serve more than 2,400 commercial customers, over 12,000 personal customers for property-casualty insurance and more than 600 businesses for employee benefits.

BHS writes for 23 percent personal lines, 50 percent of commercial lines business and 27 percent employee benefits commerce with a total revenue $14 million in 2009. The agency represents more than 30 property-casualty insurers, and more than 40 employee benefit carriers. Its top insurers include:

o Auto-Owners Insurance

o Citizens Insurance

o Cincinnati Insurance

o Hartford

o Travelers

o Chubb

o Humana Inc.

o MetLife.

The company's targeted specialties include non-profit organizations, public gardens and arboreta, public entities, agribusiness, contractors, cultural institutions, financial institutions and manufacturing.

Donald Hendricks founded Hendricks Mayer Agency in 1939, and Berends Stuit & Assocs. was founded by Edward S. Berends in 1950. BHS was incorporated as a merger of these two agencies in January 1985 by Edward Berends, Dennis Hendricks and Thomas Stuit.

Since then, BHS has increased its principals to include Jerry Niewiek in 1995, Steven Olson in 2000, Gregory Christie in 2008, James Ryskamp in 2009 and, most recently, Zackery Vandenberg.

BHS Nonprofit Solutions was established in January 2000 to provide additional service to the insurance and risk management needs of BHS's nonprofit customers. The agency has since developed programs designed specifically for various types of clients such as contractors,
cultural institutions, energy, financial institutions, food industry, manufacturing, public entities and retail.

Niewiek has been a member of BHS for 22 years, and his duties involve serving a large base of clients, leading the commercial lines division, mentoring new producers and working as a claims advocate for agency clients dealing with larger, more complex claim issues and adjusting. He also assists in developing sales strategies and serves as an advisor with several key agency partnerships. He has been with the insurance industry for more than 25 years, previously managing a multi-line claims office for Hartford. He did not wish to continue with corporate, and joined BHS.

“The claims experience created a desire to work with people creating the appropriate risk management program with companies depending on their tolerance risk,” Niewiek said. “Our philosophy is to make clients aware of risk issues, and evaluate what the appropriate solutions might be for each individual company.”

A construction specialty

BHS has specialized in insurance and risk management services for contractors for more than 20 years, and provides different coverages and services since each construction business varies. The agency builds a program that fits the needs to each client.

Construction is one of the hardest jobs in America. Statistically, it has accounted for 22.6 percent of workplace fatalities in 2002, and for 15 percent of permanent hearing loss cases, which was reported in Michigan in 2000.

To protect the health and well-being of construction workers, the agency offers risk management programs specifically for construction coverage that includes:

o Controls of hazardous energy

o Disaster planning

o Evacuation/action plan

o Prevention back injuries

o Hearing conservation

o Site evaluation

o Claim/accident investigations.

BHS offers its construction customers MyWave technology, an Internet-based client center that provides real-time access to BHS products and services, and updates on the latest information and news that makes the client's job easier.

Other value-added services for construction customers includes a safety and loss prevention department where staff offers consultation, safety assessments, customized program development, training and online OSHA recordkeeping. The claims management department provides BHS customers claims tracking, reserve monitoring, progress reports, claims history analysis and verification and correction. “We believe it is our job to act as a claims advocate for our clients,” Niewiek said.

Other services include a wellness department, which gathers data such as health risk assessments and online surveys; human resource assistance that offers online legislative guides, and wellness publications, and online services providing claims reporting, bond and certificate requests and policy change requests.

The agency also offers disaster recovery plans for special risk management or consulting for its clients. By providing these services, BHS has experienced its growth in business.

Market trends

To adapt to the soft market, BHS has discovered a different approach to survival; instead of “taking all comers” and low-balling on price, BHS carefully screens potential customers to make sure they're a good fit with the agency's products and services. The agency interviews potential clients to ensure they fit certain criteria for developing a relationship with BHS, as well as to work together to enhance a risk management program. BHS becomes involved with construction and other trade associations and learn its clients' business to look for ways to continuously help its customers improve business, and is involved with them not just at renewal time, but throughout the year.

“We do not claim to be the lowest price on the street,” Niewiek said. “We explain to prospects if price is it, we may not be the agent for them. Price is important; however, our goal is to design the appropriate protections in a cost-effective manner.”

Focusing on its partnerships with carriers and being specialists in the industry is how BHS manages to grow during the soft market. It concentrates on client challenges and finding solutions to continue to grow.

Hiring excellent workers who can lead the agency is something BHS is proud of, which increases its business. BHS focuses on efficiencies and avoids layers of authorization, and shares the organization's profits with all employees. It solicits suggestions and advice from staff, companies and peers, and implements these ideas when opportunity permits.

BHS also fully utilizes technology for greater efficiency. The technology committee continually investigates and evaluates new advancements. Niewiek mentioned how today, everything needs to be quick, complete and accurate through technology and education. “Our goal is to be the agency of choice by exceeding expectations of our customers, the markets we work with and our team members,” he continued.

Future plans

Regardless of the soft market and economic hard times, BHS strives to increase its business growth. It understands the need to grow, and it is committed to that expansion. “We are committed to bringing in young talent and helping them grow into the future leaders in our organization and the community,” Niewiek said.

Although it takes hard work, long hours and dedication and passion, the insurance industry offers incredible career growth opportunities, he said. Agencies striving to succeed should connect with a peer group and invest in education, people and technology, Niewiek said. He also suggests specializing in a niche and developing an expertise in that field, while choosing company partners carefully and understanding the purpose of working together. “Realize you cannot be all things to people,” Niewiek concluded.

Special Reports /

Grand Mission in Michigan

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