I had the pleasure of speaking with Communications Manager Shawn Roguskie over the phone to have an in-depth conversation about Berkshire Hathaway GUARD.
Megan Smith: Thank you for your bronze sponsorship! We really appreciate your support. Can you tell me a little bit about Berkshire Hathaway GUARD?
Shawn Roguskie: Sure, we were purchased by Berkshire Hathaway in 2012. We work exclusively with independent agents and operate in 47 states. We are financially strong with an AM Best rating of A+.
MS: What are your goals for Ohio in 2017?
SR: We have an aggressive growth plan and that stems from growing leaps and bounds over the last few years. We are looking to appoint several strong Commercial Line agents in Ohio. One thing we will not lose sight of is franchise value. Franchise value is key to our organization and our agents! We are pretty selective when it comes to appointing new agency partners. It has to be mutually beneficial to both parties. We are also very accommodating. We offer a competitive agency incentive program and a reasonable production commitment to newly appointed agents.
MS: What products do you offer? Any niche markets?
SR: Workers’ compensation is our specialty. Now, I know we cannot offer workers’ comp in Ohio, but a lot of agents may benefit from this product if they write business in other states. We also offer professional liability and will write about 50 classes of business. We write business owners insurance, commercial auto, commercial umbrella and disability insurance. We strive to be a Commercial Line agent’s one-stop shop for their customers.
MS: What sets Berkshire Hathaway GUARD apart?
SR: Aside from the products we specialize in, it would have to be our service and automation. We truly believe in making the customer experience as pleasant as possible. We understand that the turnaround time for new business is decreasing every day. We have to provide prompt service and make it easy for our agents to do business with us because we know they have several options. We recently launched our new automation system that we call Guard EZ Rate. All new business quotes are submitted online through this system and based on the risk characteristics may be quoted and bound immediately.
MS: How can OIA partner with your organization?
SR: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD wants to show independent agents throughout Ohio that we support them. We feel the best way to do that is through the OIA. We would love to partner together in any way possible!
Interested in learning more about Berkshire Hathaway GUARD? Check out their website or visit them on Facebook.
