All posts by Bill Arowood

New Marketing Rep for Northern Florida

By | Appalachian Underwriters | No Comments

Oak Ridge, TN, August 23, 2013 –Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. (AUI) has hired a new Marketing Representative, Mike Amer. Mike’s experience includes 10 years of working with Personal Lines and Underwriting.

Jeff Hensley, Vice President of Sales & Marketing says, “Not only does Mike possess years of experience with Personal Lines products, but also gives AUI a great advantage in the Florida Market. He has spent the last 8 of his 10 years in the insurance industry there. He is a valuable player to the AUI team and we are thrilled to have him.”

Mike will be focused on growing the market for AUI in Northern Florida. He can be reached at 407-389-9933 or at mike.amer@appund.com.

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Tennessee Reinstates Unemployment Benefit for Dependent Children

By | INVO PEO | No Comments

(INVO PEO) The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development on Friday announced that the state will continue to provide additional unemployment benefits to eligible claimants with dependent children through Dec. 31.

The department announced its intention to end the benefits based on state legislation that was passed earlier this year as a result of one-time federal funding that was no longer available. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (USDOL) State Conformity and Compliance team previously gave the state guidance that ending the additional dependent benefits would not affect other funds but now says that ending the additional benefits would risk the loss of funds paying for extended federal benefits called Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC). Continuing the additional benefit for approximately 12,000 claimants keeps another 22,000 Tennesseans from immediately losing their federal unemployment benefits.

In 2009, Tennessee received one-time federal funds in the amount of $141,808,031 as an incentive grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to strengthen the rapidly depleting Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. As a result, beginning in 2010, eligible unemployment insurance claimants supporting minor children began receiving an additional allowance to their weekly unemployment benefit amount.

At the end of December 2013 the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program will expire.

 

Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. Selects and Successfully Deploys Instec’s Quicksolver Enterprise(TM)

By | Appalachian Underwriters | No Comments
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. & NAPERVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 16, 2013--

Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. (AUI), a provider of commercial, personal, and specialty insurance, and Instec, a provider of P&C insurance platforms, today announced that Appalachian Underwriters has selected and has successfully deployed Instec’s Quicksolver Enterprise policy rating platform for Appalachian Underwriters’ Workers’ Compensation line of business.

As a part of its operational technology modernization strategy, Appalachian Underwriters sought a new system to replace their prior rating software that would decrease time to market for new programs and deliver a new level of self-reliance previously unavailable with the company’s outdated legacy system. Appalachian Underwriters also looked to ensure the new system included functionality that would mitigate compliance risks and streamline operational tasks. Now in production at Appalachian Underwriters, Quicksolver Enterprise is delivered both onsite as well as through Appalachian Underwriters’ web portal that handles thousands of agent submissions daily, across multiple rating companies.

“The system performance we’ve experienced with Instec’s Quicksolver Enterprise is unrivaled, delivering sub-second rating per quote, which dramatically increases our operational efficiency,” said Steve Cota, CIO for Appalachian Underwriters. “Additionally, the robust integration through web services, statutory reporting, and precise rating made Instec the perfect choice to upgrade our Service Oriented Architecture and enhance our processing environment.”

“This successful implementation of Quicksolver Enterprise is another example of Instec’s ‘no fail’ mantra when it comes to client success,” says Bill Budde, CPCU, VP of Sales and Marketing at Instec. “As a 30-year old company, not only are we experts at delivering bureau content and self-sufficiency, we also offer a solid track record of successfully and consistently implementing platforms that decrease total cost of ownership, increase revenue, and mitigate risk for our clients. The success of the Appalachian Underwriters project is yet another proof point for our message.”

“Insurers continue to seek offerings that can meet pressing time-to-market demands as well as support the drive for new revenue,” says Karen Furtado, Partner at SMA. “Instec has the ability to provide both bureau content as well as product configuration tools that enable self-sufficiency. Both avenues are assisting insurers and helping them deliver programs in a timely and efficient manner. This is an area where we’re seeing a significant increase in the demand for capabilities in the market place.”

About Instec

Instec, founded in 1982, is a leading provider of services and technology to the commercial property and casualty insurance industry. Noted for long-term client relationships, Instec is a partner in providing business expertise and creating profitable growth. As providers of full policy lifecycle management, Instec works with its clients on successful Program Business as well as streamlining operations from first quote to last endorsement. Instec’s flagship technology, Quicksolver, is a best-of- breed rating and policy administration solution supporting all major lines of business, in all 50 states, and with native bureau rates, rules forms and statistical content. As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Instec delivers strategic solutions that enable clients to drive competitive advantages in rating, issuing, and reporting in order to lower costs and maximize profitability. With more than three decades of experience, Instec is a trusted partner with deep industry knowledge, innovation and insight. To learn more, visit www.instec-corp.com.

About Appalachian Underwriters, Inc.

Appalachian Underwriters, Inc., with over $350 million in written premium, is the fifth largest managing general insurance agency in the US as ranked by Business Insurance. Providing a wide variety of products to the independent agent for workers’ compensation, commercial specialty and personal lines insurance coverage along with a fully service insurance brokerage, AUI is committed to delivering policy solutions to its insured’s through its network of over twenty-five thousand independent appointed agents. A skilled and highly professional staff, many with backgrounds as retail agents, understands and is committed to meeting the needs of each of AUI’s agents. Appalachian Underwriters strives to provide a selection of competitive quotes from financially sound carriers in a timely manner. The ultimate goal of the organization is to make doing business easy for its agents. AUI offers proprietary online tools such as Xpress Rating platforms and multiple resources for its appointed agents. The online tools assist in making this goal a reality. Principals of Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. are Bill Arowood and Bob Arowood. For more information, visit www.appund.com.

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Our New VP of Sales and Marketing Announced

By | Appalachian Underwriters | No Comments

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Hensley in the newly created role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing for AUI.

About Jeff:
Jeff has a diverse 25 year career in sales and marketing, serving for the past three years in business development roles within AUI and its reinsurance affiliate Cornerstone Re. After graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Business, Jeff began his marketing career in the food manufacturing business. He has experience both in establishing a new sales team and leading an existing sales organization. He’s spent years within a brokerage company environment, after successfully starting one with several business partners. Jeff served that organization as Vice President of Sales and Corporate Operations. In addition to his sales and marketing experiences, Jeff also has many years of experience within business operations and budgeting within a wholesale environment.

Over the past few years, Jeff has gained insurance experience in the areas of underwriting, reinsurance, program development and budgeting within Appalachian Underwriters. His latest role at the company was Vice President Program Management & Business Development. Jeff has enhanced the communication and organization within AUI; managed carrier relationships; developed new programs and lately managed the regional production offices to ensure each is aligned with corporate initiatives.

Jeff can be contacted at:
888-376-9633, ext 8450 (office)

Welcome to the team.

Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. (AUI) Opens New Office in Boca Raton, FL and Hires Marshall Gordon and Skylar Rupp

By | Appalachian Underwriters | No Comments
BOCA RATON, Fla., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ – Marshall Gordon and Skylar Rupp have joined AUI to market and underwrite Workers’ Compensation for PEO Firms nationwide. Gordon and Rupp will be based out of the new Boca Raton office and will also market AUI’s other workers’ comp programs, contractors’ general liability, commercial auto, and other markets to key Florida agents. The new office and appointments of Gordon and Rupp demonstrate AUI’s commitment to expanding their product offering and market presence for their 13,000 active agency partners.
Marshall Gordon brings 20 years of insurance industry experience, most recently in the capacity of Vice President of Marketing for Guarantee Insurance Company. Skylar Rupp has 20 years of insurance industry experience, most recently as Senior Underwriter for Guarantee Insurance Company.
Contact: Marshall Gordon 813-767-4119; marshall.gordon@appund.com Skylar Rupp 561-400-0420; skylar.rupp@appund.com PEO WC Submissions skylar.rupp@appund.com; Fax 888-871-7644
Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. is a full-service MGA and Wholesale Insurance Brokerage, providing independent agents a National outlet to multiple markets for Workers’ Compensation, Commercial Specialty, and Personal Lines of insurance.
AUI’s home office is located in Oak Ridge, TN. With Satellite Offices in: San Diego, CA – Kennesaw, GA – Altamonte Springs, FL – Boca Raton, FL – Sarasota, FL – Murfreesboro, TN.
To learn more about Appalachian Underwriters, Inc., please visit http://www.appund.com
Contact: Garland Byrd Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. (865) 425-1005 garland.byrd@appund.com http://www.appund.com
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
Appalachian Underwriters, Inc.
Contact: Garland Byrd of Appalachian Underwriters, Inc., +1-865-425-1005,
garland.byrd@appund.com
Web site: http://www.appund.com/
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