NU Honors Three 'Agencies Of The Year'

National Underwriter magazine named the three winners today in the publication's eighth annual "Commercial Insurance Agency of the Year" award program.

The trio of winners include: Woodruff-Sawyer & Company, of San Francisco, Calif., which was named NU's "2009 Champion," as well as two agencies receiving an Honorable Mention--York International Agency of Yonkers, N.Y., and Ross & Yerger of Jackson, Miss.

Profiles of all three winning agencies appear in NU's Oct. 12 edition, available at www.property-casualty.com.

The three winners have also responded to a series of questions for NU's annual "State of the Independent Agent" roundtable section, to appear in the Nov. 2 edition.

"All three winning agencies were true risk managers, rather than just policy peddlers, for their clients," said NU Editor In Chief Sam Friedman, who is founder and chair of the award program. "They emphasize personal service and added value at a time when buyers are desperate to control their cost of risk."

Mr. Friedman added that "these agencies managed to keep growing their total income despite a persistent soft market and the worst economic conditions in a generation. Rather than let the tough times undermine them, they rose to the occasion, helping clients survive and keep bottom-line expenses under control."

"All three winners are role models for their peers," Mr. Friedman said. "That's why we launched this award program, to spotlight agencies that talk the talk, and can be leaders by example."

The 37 agencies that entered the award program had to fill out an extensive questionnaire tracking their growth, as well as hand-in representative marketing material and a sample proposal to land new or renewal business. Entrants also had to include an essay detailing the agency's business philosophy.

Mr. Friedman and his staff chose the three winners, which were submitted to a panel of agents that picked this year's champion.