Premier Group of Companies celebrates its 30th year in business

After 3 decades, Premier Group is anything but complacent! ‘It feels like only yesterday we were celebrating 25 years and when we look back at everything we’ve accomplished in these past 5 years it’s astounding.’ – says Mo Kaur, recently appointed President & COO of Premier Group of Companies.

MO KAUR
‘In 2014 we had 3 offices in Canada, we now have 5 with the addition of Laval, Quebec and Cambridge, Ontario. Our distribution force has grown from 3,500 to nearly 5,000 in Canada alone, not to mention our 4 offices in the US. This is a far cry from our beginnings in 1989, selling only Marine Pleasurecraft insurance out of a small office in London Ontario!’ – explains Kaur.

Their product offerings have since expanded to a full suite of Marine products as well as Professional Liability, Environmental Lines, Construction Risks, Specialty Casualty and Specialty Personal Lines. It’s due to this expansion of its business appetite that the organization previously known as Premier Marine evolved into the Premier Group of Companies best known now as Premier. In developing its products Premier has always prided itself in collaborating with its broker partners to develop unique insurance solutions to address the ever changing needs of their broker’s clients.

The latest products to be added to their expanding portfolio are; Drones, Stand Alone Equipment Breakdown, Non Profit organizations, Tattoo & Piercing Artists, Cyber and Home Sharing.

JUDY VERHOEF
Judy Verhoef, Vice President – Operations reflects over her 10 years at Premier

‘We’ve seen new MGAs enter the market place, others sell or amalgamate and some reduce their territory or appetite, however Premier continues to grow. And throughout it all, it’s heartening to see how Premier maintained its old school values throughout these past 30 years, yet managed to also stay with the times in response to the ever changing market place’. Verhoef is referring to the fact that Premier still has real life Receptionists that help direct calls to front line Underwriters rather than an automated answering service that ends in a voice mail, yet they also boast one of the most robust online quoting and policy issuance tools available to brokers which they appropriately call ‘Presto’.

SHELDON BLOOMER
Presto first launched in 2015 with Marine Pleasurecraft as its first offering and now has over 20 products including several Personal, Construction, Commercial, Professional & Environmental Lines. The tool is available to all brokers, irrespective of volume – which Sheldon Bloomer, National Commercial Underwriter Director of 10 years explains has always been Premier’s position on accessibility of their offerings. Premier continues its investment in the tool in response to broker feedback which has been more than encouraging as brokers can’t seem to say enough about it on the Premier Group LinkedIn page.

‘The Presto quoting and issuing system is by far the best product brokers have available these days. Love to use it.’ and ‘I Love Presto! SO Efficient and Saves SO Much time especially on those last minute Friday afternoon emergencies, as its available to use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!!’ Bloomer continues to say how much he has enjoyed working for an organization who understands that on-line portals are a vital part of our emerging industry.

TINA (WADDICK) JONMAIRE
With Presto and several new products, Premier remains constant. Tina (Waddick) Jonmaire – National Sales Director, reflects on how things manage to change yet stay the same. ‘Over the course of my 15 years with Premier I’ve had the privilege to work with some amazing people and continue to do so.’ says Jonmaire. ‘We have over 20 employees who have been with Premier for 10+ years and I’m excited to be a part of this team that will take Premier into the futur 30.’ Jonmaire’s main focus is to drive Premier’s Broker education/seminar program and manage the Business Development Team – ‘Whether we are at a round table discussion in a Brokers office, hosting an in-house or city accredited educational seminar, attending a Broker function or simply running into our Broker friends out in the community, I assign the success of our longevity to the relationships the entire Premier Team has built with our Broker partners!

DANIELLE (TCHIR) MACDOUGALL
It’s also hard to talk about Premier without mentioning their Claims team, Danielle (Tchir) Macdougall, Premier’s Claims Director of 11 Years. ‘I’m proud yet humbled when I hear feedback from our brokers about our claims team and their service’ says Macdougall. ‘Whether it’s a water claim in a mobile home, a multi-million dollar COC fire, or  complex liability claim our team treats each loss with the same level of importance and strives to efficiently settle the claim to ensure both the broker and insured are satisfied with the experience. That has always been consistent and, fundamentally, is why we (Premier) do what we do – yesterday, today and tomorrow.’

What’s next for Premier is hard to say, as Mo Kaur explains – ‘Archaic systems and processes do not hinder us, with our in house underwriting experts, long standing supportive relations with both domestic and international carrier markets, we have the clout to research and launch a program in as little as three months, and deliver to the needs of our broker partners. We pride ourselves in developing unique products. With several recent additions to Premiers leadership team and 4 new branch offices over Canada and the US, it should be a clear indication of our commitment and ability to respond to whatever the future direction will be.’

‘Speaking for all of Premier Team members, we’re appreciative to have been of service to this industry for the past 30 years and aspire to exceed your expectations for another 30. Cheers to another 30 years!

A toast to all our broker and carrier partners— we want to thank you all for your continued support in our ‘thirty years’ of business. Today, Premier has become one of the largest Managing Underwriting Agencies administrating over 120,000 policies, over 140 employees, 9 offices across Canada & the US, and a product offering that has grown to include:

• Professional Lines
• Environmental Lines
• Construction
• Specialty Commercial Lines
• Specialty Personal Lines
• Marine Lines

Think Premier…for all your Specialty product needs. Here’s to the next 30 years!