Please note our office will be closed Friday, March 29th in honor of the Easter holiday. We will reopen at 8:00 am on Monday, April 1st

News & Views: Swimming Upstream

Newsletter – Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Swimming Upstream Some people just need to swim upstream, against the tide, against the odds. What makes companies and individuals act on their principles even when it will cost them? 
 
It seems like Steelers cornerback William Gay made a conscious decision to defy the NFL last Sunday when he wore purple cleats during the game against Kansas City. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (before it was designated as Breast Cancer Awareness month). Gay wore purple to represent his mother, who lost her life in a domestic violence incident. Good for you, Mr. Gay! Or, consider the recent announcement by REI, an outdoor and sporting goods retailer taking the unprecedented stand of closing their doors on November 27, 2016 (Black Friday). The co-op made the call because it aligns with their mission of "encouraging people to spend time outside". Another company I recently discovered, Storyville Coffee Company of Seattle, WA, is known for their excellent coffee (it's in Seattle of course). But, this privately owned company has an inspiring mission to be a 'for-giving' company. They say it best, "Coffee is just the vehicle, it's the host for a radical dream". Check out their story, you will be inspired, and I can vouch for their coffee!
 
We stand with William Gay and the need to shine the light on the issues of domestic violence; we are closed the Friday following Thanksgiving and hope you are too (get outside!), and we believe in giving back to our community. We are on a mission to be the most customer-centric wholesaler you work with. I know we don't (or can't) meet every expectation, but we sure want you to know we care. In the process, we want to provide excellent insurance solutions for your customers.
 
There's a lot going on here at Tuscano so let me take a moment to update you with some news. As you may know, Western Heritage Insurance Company is a part of the Scottsdale Group of insurance carriers. Earlier this year, management at Scottsdale determined they would discontinue using Western Heritage as a writing carrier for commercial general liability and property business. While Tuscano has been appointed with Scottsdale to write Transportation and Personal Lines business for many years, we have now been given commercial property & casualty authority. Consequently, beginning January 1, 2015, we will be offering renewal quotes on all qualifying Western Heritage business with Scottsdale Insurance Company. You will still see Western Heritage paper in use for their garage program countrywide. There are many more changes coming in the months ahead and we'll keep you posted. 
 
Closer to home, we've been making some staffing changes to better serve you. Jamie Clawson, a member of our Casualty Team has accepted a position as an underwriter in our Small Business Unit. Chelsea Chiesa is moving to the Casualty Team and April Hill, formerly an assistant in the Transportation Team, will be heading to the Commercial Property and Package Team. Janet Leong, who has worked in the Accounting Department for several years, is now joining the Highland Premium Finance Team which we think is a great fit! You'll see all of these changes taking place over the next couple of months.   
 
Having a great team to work with is so important to being able to get things done! I know this is true for you both on the underwriting side and for policy service. The Tuscano development team has been busy putting together some great website features that I think you will appreciate and they fit nicely with our service vision. If you are someone with admin or accounting access to the Tuscano Toolbox, making an agency bill policy payment has never been easier. The online payment page now shows you the net amount you owe on a policy-by-policy basis. You are now able to select only the policies you are ready to pay for, or select all of the policies with open balances. You will love these new easy and flexible options to pay statements or invoices! When it comes to ease of doing business this will be a game-changer! 
 
But wait, there's more! Tuscano has long been a partner with RLI Insurance Corp, offering their Personal Umbrella and In-Home Business products. Programs are available to rate, quote and request binding online, so this is a great option for adding a PUP quote to your homeowner and auto quotes. Tuscano just made the RLI Agent's Portal even easier to access with single sign-on! Log into the Tuscano website and you are only 1-click away from working in the RLI system. 
 
I know I've made this letter a bit longer than usual, but I don't want to sign off without reminding you of some excellent opportunities to write business. Our Small Business Unit has great options for writing artisan contractors and they are fast with a quote! They also support our online rating options in PA for contractors, vacant dwellings, and constable liability. Check out the online raters for a fast quote or drop the SBU Team a line. 
 
We can also help you out when you need a Worker's Comp market. We have more than eight WC carriers that will write this line of business on a monoline basis. Some classes we tend to see a lot of are small bars with a minimum payroll, medical facilities looking for loss control services, and truckers, which is one of our biggest classes. Give us a call. Depending on the class, we'll connect you with an underwriter that is knowledgeable and helpful. It is our mission after all.
 
Have a wonderful day. I hope Tuscano is part of it! 
 
 
 
 
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