FCCI Publishes Company History - A Legacy of Trust:
The Story of FCCI
(Sarasota, Florida, January 23, 2008) - - President and
CEO G.W. Jacobs announced today that FCCI published a
book in late 2007 commemorating the evolution of FCCI
from a small Florida workers’ compensation
self-insurance fund in 1959 to the multi-million dollar
property and casualty super regional it is today.
Approximately 150 pages long, A Legacy of Trust: The
Story of FCCI includes an engaging narrative and
full-color photography. It also contains excerpts from
interviews conducted with several of the men who had a
direct hand in shaping the organization.
According to G.W., “When FCCI decided to collect its
history and have a book written, I didn’t really have a
clear vision of what we were going to accomplish with
the effort. Since several of our long-time key players
over the years had passed away, and Charlie Stottlemyer
retired from our Board of Directors in 2005, and Ron
Foxworthy was leaving the Board in 2007, I found myself
in the uncomfortable role of being the person with the
most historical perspective and the responsibility for
making sure that what these people did and how they did
it was preserved for the benefit of FCCI’s future
leaders and employees. This book is a start, but much
remains to be done to ensure that we accomplish this
transfer of perspective.” Every FCCI employee and
agency partner will receive a copy of the book.
FCCI Toastmasters Club Achieves
Select Distinguished Club Status
(Sarasota, FL, July 15, 2007) -- FCCI’s corporate-sponsored
Toastmasters club began meeting in June, 1990. Today, it has
achieved Select Distinguished Club status and is a
leading club in the area. Since the club’s inception, several
FCCI Toastmasters have competed and placed in area and division
level Toastmasters competitions. In addition, FCCI club members
have served important roles as club mentors for new Toastmasters
clubs in the area.
The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually
supportive and positive learning environment in which every
member has the opportunity to develop communication and
leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and
personal growth.
FCCI Toastmasters meets over the lunch hour at FCCI’s corporate
headquarters in Sarasota, Florida on the second and fourth
Tuesday of the month. The club is open to FCCI employees only;
however, fellow Toastmasters who would like to visit and observe
our corporate club may contact the Toastmasters Area Governor
for more information.
A.M. Best Company Affirms FCCI's A- Excellent Rating
(June 5, 2007) -- A.M. Best
Company, the oldest and most widely recognized rating
authority dedicated to the insurance industry,
reaffirmed FCCI's A- Excellent rating with a secure and
stable quality rating.
This affirmation
involved a comprehensive and qualitative analysis
consisting of over 100 key financial tests of the
company's balance sheet strength, operating performance,
and business profile. FCCI's rating reflect the
Company's excellent ability to meet ongoing obligations
to its policyholders and agents.
Rupe Willis Named Executive Vice
President and Chief Regional Officer
(Sarasota, Florida, March 2, 2007) -- President and CEO G.W.
Jacobs announced today that Rupe Willis, Senior Vice President
Florida Region, has assumed a new position with
the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Regional
Officer.
According to G.W., “Rupe has a tremendous amount of knowledge
and expertise in the underwriting area, and he a full
understanding of our challenges and our capabilities, including
the FCCI culture. Please join me in congratulating Rupe on his
new responsibilities.”
Tim Clarke Honored With FPRA Lifetime
Achievement Award
(Sarasota, Florida, February 28, 2007) --Tim Clarke, a member of
FCCI's Board of Directors since 2005 and founder and former chairman of
Clarke Advertising and Public Relations, has received the
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southwest Chapter of the
Florida Public Relations Association.
In addition to building Clarke Advertising and Public Relations
into one of the area's largest communications firms, Mr. Clarke
has been and continues to be heavily involved in community
activities. He has served as Chairman of the Greater Sarasota
Chamber of Commerce, and more recently, he’s led a group of
investors in establishing Insignia Bank in downtown Sarasota.
Clarke received the award from the Southwest Chapter of FPRA at
their annual Awards Gala held in the historic Asolo
Theater at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida.
Introducing FCCI ServiceWorks!SM
- Insurance Has a Face.
(Carmel, Indiana, December 12, 2006) -- FCCI’s Midwest region is
rolling out a new program designed to reward policyholders who
take a proactive stance toward risk management.
FCCI ServiceWorks!SM is a tiered program with three
distinct levels of service according to account size and needs:
Proactive Services, FCCI ServiceWorks!SM Plus, and
FCCI ServiceWorks!SM Select.
Insurance Has a Face
A key component of FCCI ServiceWorks!SM is FCCI’s
commitment to continue to build and maintain a strong local
presence in the areas where our customers reside. FCCI
ServiceWorks!SM reflects our philosophy that
insurance is about more than a contract; insurance is about
people. Ultimately, we hope our policyholders will discover that
what we say in our program tagline is true: Insurance Has a Face.
FCCI’s Southeast Region Celebrates $100 Million
(Duluth, GA, November 15, 2006) -- After only six years in operation,
the Southeast Regional Office of FCCI Insurance Group has surpassed the $100 million
dollar mark in premium.
Richard Rueger, Regional Senior Vice President, attributes this remarkable achievement to the
perseverance and commitment of FCCI’s Southeast Regional Office staff and the solid relationships
the region has built with its agency partners.
The Southeast Region currently handles business in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Tennessee. The region anticipates adding Virginia and Maryland in 2007.
FCCI Named 2006 Hall of Fame Service Company of the Year
(Sarasota, FL, September 25, 2006) -- The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of Sarasota County
announced winners of the 2006 Hall of Fame Awards today in a ceremony attended by more than 450 at the
Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota.
According to the EDC, FCCI Insurance Group was named Service Company of the Year, an award sponsored by Lee
Wetherington Companies. The property and casualty insurance company was singled out for going the extra mile to
foster excellent employee relations and give back to the community. An executive chef cooks meals for employees,
and the company not only hold jobs for employees on active military duty, FCCI also continues to pay their salaries.
In an e-mail to all 700+ FCCI employees throughout three regions, FCCI President and CEO G.W. Jacobs said,
“Though this award was given by the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, its underlying message is
applicable to all of our employees everywhere. What a privilege it is to be a part of the ethical, caring organization
you have created. Congratulations and thanks to all of you who distinguish us everyday both in our workplace market
and in our communities.”
The EDC of Sarasota County is the private, not-for-profit corporation leading the community’s economic development
strategy to add high-wage jobs and diversify the local economy. The EDC provides business assistance to companies in
Sarasota County and helps forge solutions to community challenges that affect quality of life. The EDC works in
partnership with chambers of commerce, local governments, and other organizations throughout the county and the region.
FCCI’s Eileen Meckes Speaks Before 1,600 at Annual CPCU Convention
(Sarasota, FL, September 9, 2006) -- Eileen Meckes, CPCU, an Underwriter Trainee at FCCI,
was selected out of more than two dozen entrants to tell her story at the CPCU Society’s 62nd Annual
Meeting and Seminars on September 9-12 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The CPCU has been selecting class spokespersons since 1996 as a way to give a personalized view of going
through the program. Traditionally, they have chosen one man and one woman to tell their story.
For seven years, Eileen was a financial assistant to the controller, but on the side, she pursued her dream
to become an underwriter.
In her inspirational four-and-a-half-minute speech, Eileen credits her father for instilling in her a love of
reading and the words of leaders like Calvin Coolidge, who believed that “Nothing in the world can take the place
of persistence.”
The conferment ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Jerry Linenger, retired U.S. Navy flight
surgeon and former NASA astronaut.
Craig Johnson Appointed Chief Financial
Officer(Sarasota, FL, August 24, 2006) -- Debbie Douglas, Executive
Vice President, Marketing/Underwriting & Human Resources,
announced today that Craig Johnson has been appointed Executive
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Craig
joined FCCI in 2003 as Vice President and Controller in the
Finance area.
Congratulations to Craig on his achievement.
FCCI Surpasses One Billion in Cash and Investments
(Sarasota, Florida, March 29, 2006) -- FCCI’s CEO and President,
G.W. Jacobs, announced today that FCCI has surpassed one billion dollars
in investable assets.
In an e-mail to the Company, G.W. stated:
“As of February 28, 2006, FCCI had $1,003,031,309 in cash and liquid investments.
Yes, this is the magical number. ONE BILLION DOLLARS. I recently reviewed a memo from
one of our former leaders to the Board of Directors expressing pride that we had reached $100,000.
Forty years later, we have added a lot of zeroes to that number. We did it the hard way,
but the FCCI way of adding one quality relationship at a time. This means we have a great book
of business, and a partnership with agencies who share our values, and it augurs very well for our future.”
FCCI Receives Readership Award for
Insurance Journal Ad
(Sarasota, FL, February 13, 2006) -- An advertisement FCCI
placed in the October 17, 2005 issue of the Southeast and
Midwest Editions of Insurance Journal received a top
readership award from ReadershipPlus.
The award was based on the results of a survey conducted by
Research USA, an independent media research firm. Insurance
Journal randomly selected a sample of readers to answer a
questionnaire about the issue, including questions about the
advertisements.
The readership score is the percentage of all respondents who
indicated that they either read or recall seeing a magazine
feature or advertisement.
To view FCCI’s top-rated ad,
click here.
Business Continuity Planning Underway
at FCCI
(Sarasota, FL, October 21, 2005) -- Business continuity
management (BCM) is an enterprise-wide process focusing on
continuity, recovery, and restoration of critical business
processes should a situation occur that compromises an
organization's resources or normal daily operations. FCCI has
begun a comprehensive business continuity planning project to
help us identify the impact of potential loss to our
organization. This sort of review has been done in the past, but
the current process will help FCCI identify any modifications
needed to our program.
To assist us with the development of a strong and effective
business continuity plan, FCCI has selected Strohl Systems, a
proven global leader in business continuity planning software
and services. Strohl Systems has been in business for over 25
years and its products are used by 26 of the top 30 insurance
companies.
Led by an Executive Management Steering Committee, the business
continuity planning project is expected to take almost a year to
research and deploy. Earl Price, SVP of Underwriting is the
project leader, and Sally Harris, VP of Regional Shared
Services, the business impact analysis (BIA) leader. The core
team is responsible for multiple tasks, including learning new
BIA software, formulating business continuity strategies and
budgetary costs, and developing a recovery plan that is
regularly maintained, tested, and updated.
Currently, the core team is creating questionnaires in order to
survey various key groups within the company. Responses to the
surveys will assist the team in identifying the impact of
potential loss and formulating viable recovery plans to ensure
continuity of services.
Two Executive Officers at FCCI Commit to Serve Until 2010
(Sarasota, FL, April 7, 2005) -- FCCI Chairman of the Board John
T. Stafford announced today that FCCI President and CEO G.W.
Jacobs and FCCI Executive Vice President Claim Services Joe
Keene have each agreed to continue their service to the
organization for the next five years.
G.W. Jacobs joined FCCI in 1989 and became President and CEO in
1999. According to Stafford, “G.W. has enthusiastically agreed
to stay and try to help finish the transformation of FCCI from
our current position as a regional commercial property and
casualty insurer to
super-regional status, capitalizing on our reputation for
excellence and integrity.”
Joe Keene began his career with FCCI in 1998. Stafford says,
“Joe’s contribution to FCCI has been immeasurable, and his
presence is sure to help us continue to grow and profit.”
FCCI Runs Full-Page Employee Appreciation Ad in
Sarasota Herald
Tribune
(Sarasota, FL, December 19, 2004) -- In celebration of
the personal and financial resources that FCCI employees
regularly donate to notable local and national charities, the
Management and Board of Directors of FCCI expressed their
appreciation by running a full-page ad in the Sarasota Herald
Tribune. The Sunday ad featured several FCCI employees from the
Florida, Southeast, and Midwest regional offices who have
participated in a number of charitable activities.
According to FCCI Executive Vice President Debbie Douglas, FCCI
employees donate so much time and energy to improving their
communities that FCCI Board members wanted to find a bold and
unique way of commemorating their outstanding efforts and
thanking them for a job well done.
Whether it’s classroom volunteering for Junior Achievement,
becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, making strides against
cancer, building a house for Habitat for Humanity, or donating
time to United Way, FCCI employees constantly take the
initiative and go the extra mile to make a valuable and lasting
difference in their communities.
The employee appreciation ad appeared in the Sunday, December
19, 2004 edition of the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Click here to
view the ad.
Florida Trend Ranks FCCI in Florida’s Top 50 Largest Private
Companies
(Sarasota, Florida, June, 2004) -- FCCI Insurance
Group was rated the 34th largest private company in the state of
Florida by Florida Trend, the magazine of Florida business. FCCI
was the only private Sarasota business in the listing.
Florida Trend notes that FCCI Insurance Group had $451
million in revenue in the year 2003. Since the article was
published, FCCI’s revenue increased to $480 million in 2004.
A complete listing of the Florida Private 200 was published in
Florida Trend magazine in June 2004 and republished in Annual
Top Rank Florida 2005 in December 2004.
FCCI Announces Prestigious New Chairman's Club for Top Agent
Partners
(Sarasota, FL, March 31, 2004) -- FCCI’s Chairman’s Club
is a prestigious new membership organization that recognizes the
extraordinary efforts of our highest performing agent partners.
This program has been especially designed by FCCI to reward,
support, and promote agents who consistently demonstrate
superior levels of performance and who conduct themselves with
the highest ethical and moral standards. The membership provides
financial, commemorative, supportive, and automatic annual trip
invitation benefits to recognize the superior performance of
these agent partners.
Rough Notes Article
Features FCCI Expansion of Territory and Product
(Sarasota, FL,
November, 2003) -- In the article, “FCCI Expands Territory
and Product,” written by Dennis Pillsbury, G.W. Jacobs focuses
on changes at FCCI and plans for the future. Following are
excerpts from the printed article:
"Our greatest fear was being
a one product company in one state,” Jacobs points out. “We saw
a living example of what could happen in Texas Employers. That
company was about the same size as we were and in a
rate-administered state like we were and it didn’t survive. We
didn’t want the same thing to happen to us.”
“In 1999, we wrote about $230 million in premium,” Jacobs
reports. “Two hundred twenty million dollars of that was Florida
workers compensation. Today, we write about $460 million in
premium and Florida comp accounts for $240 million of that.”
Additional strong evidence of FCCI’s solid profile today is its
“A-” rating from A.M. Best, a rating which Jacobs says “provides
a strong indication that we are going in the right direction.”
“We have worked hard to maintain a local presence in all the
markets that we serve and intend to continue that,” Jacobs
asserts. “Our intention is to become a national company over the
next 20 years; but we will retain that local presence as we
enter new markets... Our success is built on our ability to
acquire local knowledge and relationships, and we don’t intend
to abandon that strategy. This translates into better claims
handling and underwriting and rewards our agents by satisfying
the policyholders."
“Our marketing strategy is to go after the middle market, which
for us is defined as companies with less than $100,000 in
premium, using independent agents as our sole distribution
system. Independent agents are a strength for companies like
us.”
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