T-shirt stores
person
cyber liability boat deal
strip malls
taverns
oil & gas contractors
specialt
medical equipment
publishers pottery stores
commercial lines
bridal sho
communit
long term care professional liability printe
dealer’s open lot
rental equip
Artisan cont
travel agencies toy stores
AScK embarks on major market expansion,
Association leaders reflect on historical roots
by KATIE HOBSON
T
he idea of creating a for-profit entity that would
be solely owned by a not-for-profit association
was such forward thinking in the early 1980s
that accountants were unfamiliar with how to
handle the tax structure according to Will Larson and
Marcia Moore. Larson, KAIA attorney, and Moore, former
KAIA vice president of operations, along with former KAIA
President Ray “Pinky” Ryan – Pittsburg, gathered in May
to share the series of events that led to the formation of
Agency Services Corporation of Kansas (AScK). Originally
known as Agents Assistance Corporation of Kansas, AScK
was started in 1982 with the agents “West of Highway ’81”
in mind Ryan explained.
The association had already begun assisting agents
with errors and omissions coverage through Employers
Reinsurance Corporation (ERC), now known as Swiss Re
Corporate Solutions. “ERC was the start of it all,” Ryan
explained. Ryan further emphasized that service for the
16
errors and omissions program was really impressive. “It was
a service to the agents, a service we should perform,” Ryan
asserted.
At that time, the association was comprised of local boards
across the state. Through the local boards, agents ran their
own municipalities programs, pooling their expenses,
and using the commissions to pay state association dues.
However, even though insurance is generally exempt
from federal anti-trust laws certain court decisions in
the late seventies and early eighties suggested that this
arrangement might be an exception to the general
exemption of insurance from the anti-trust laws and could
be in violation of the laws.
Additionally, the agents west of Highway 81 had a
particularly difficult time getting access to markets not
only because of the size of their agencies, but also because
of the threats of wind and hail. According to Ryan, the
KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER |MAY - JUNE 2016|
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