SMOOTH WATERS
Smooth Waters :
The Caseys and Al & Alma ’ s
Communities with a rich
history are often built on the backs of close business relationships . The kind of relationships that go back years , even decades . The relationship between Al & Alma ’ s and their insurance agent , Tom Casey , is one of those kinds of relationships . The Caseys , with their long-standing ties to the community as insurance agents , and Al & Alma ’ s , as a supper club ( formerly a grocery store ) and much more .
Tom Casey Jr . is the third generation Casey of his agency , following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather ( who originally started the agency ). Tom Casey had been in the industry for nearly 40 years before retiring , forging strong working and personal relationships with business owners and friends around town . He is the one who originally began working with Al & Alma ’ s by way of owner Bud Nolan in the early ’ 70s .
THE STORY OF AL & ALMA ’ S AND THE CASEYS IS A STORY THAT REPRESENTS WHAT BUSINESS SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT : BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND HELPING OTHERS .
The Caseys lived on the lake , were well known around town , and insured the city and many local businesses , so things naturally progressed . Since that time , ownership of Al & Alma ’ s has changed hands a few times , but the Casey family has remained a constant , working closely with succeeding owners to keep things running smoothly .
Al & Alma ’ s is now much more than the supper club that it started out as . When Bud Nolan purchased the business in the ’ 70s , he added a charter boat component . Eventually , that evolved into Al & Alma ’ s serving dinners on the boat , which , years later , expanded into a small fleet of boats operating on Lake Minnetonka . Al & Alma ’ s regularly hosts large business events in the region as well .
By now , the unique risk management situation of Al & Alma ’ s should be clear . Not only do they operate a restaurant but they also operate a fleet of boats in addition to hosting events . From an insurance perspective , these are separate issues . There is the restaurant and event hosting side , with things like general liability , property , liquor liability , and workers ’ compensation . For the boats , there is property insurance , normal liabilities , and the additional aspect of dealing with the federal government for workers ’ compensation . In other words : things can get complicated very fast .
The story of Al & Alma ’ s and the Caseys is a story that represents what business should be all about : building relationships and helping others . Al & Alma ’ s is one of the crown jewels of the insurance agency . Tom has known Jay , one of the current owners , for years . Their relationship extends far beyond business , though , as they regularly attend events together , eat together at the restaurant , and Tom has even had three of his children work for Al & Alma ’ s over the years .
Having a close working relationship with your agent or broker is essential to success in business . Not managing ( or mismanaging ) risks can be a quick ticket to being out of business if the wrong things happen . The relationship between Al & Alma ’ s ( in their 65 th year of business ) and the Caseys is a great example of what can happen when things go the way they should .
For more information , you can reach out to Tom at 952-941-9418 or TMCasey @ nesbitagencies . com . +
WITH TOM CASEY
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