CATCHING UP WITH INDUSTRY
PARTNERS
By: Dave Hulcher
In what has been an unusual year for us, we’d like to recognize and say thank you to the 55 companies that participate
in KAIA’s Industry Partner program. The Industry Partner program provides opportunities to make connections and build
long-lasting relationships between our partners and members. Without their participation in the association, we would
not be able to offer the same level of engagement and support to our members or the insurance industry. In fact, without
the financial support generated from those participating in the Industry Partner program, member agencies would have
to absorb an average of $720 per agency in additional costs to continue to offer today’s same member networking
opportunities, products, and services.
With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting the ability of many Industry Partners to meet face-to-face with members, they have
sponsored online virtual updates and learning opportunities. We are thankful for Industry Partner support of KAIA. We
wanted to survey them to get their thoughts on how they have dealt with the recent changes brought by the pandemic,
including how they’ve been affected, suggestions for agents going forward, and the lessons learned for the future.
How did stay-at-home orders affect how you are doing business, and what did you do to adapt?
“From a management position, my goal has been
not to allow this to disrupt operations to any
extent where there would have been a break in
those operations delaying service to our agents or
policyholders. We implemented plans as if our office
had been destroyed, yet we still had access to the
office for some needs. We also maintained daily
communication among staff and felt that it was vital
to the continuation of operations and service.”
Justin Lear, CEO
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company
“Very early on, Kansas Mutual Insurance Company
created a three phase COVID-19 response plan
contemplating various severities of impact on our
insureds, agency partners and staff. However, for
the most part, we can say that as of right now, the
crisis has not seriously impacted how we are doing
business and the level of service we are providing
our customers.”
Mike Perkins, Managing Executive
Kansas Mutual Insurance Company
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