Renaissance Alliance Members Celebrate Growth
Wellesley, MA, October 30, 2007 – Renaissance Alliance hosted The 4th Annual Renaissance Alliance Team Meeting at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA on October 25, 2007. More than 400 representatives from New England agencies, insurers, and vendors attended the event to review the prior year's progress and to plan for continued growth.

In his opening remarks, J. Bruce Cochrane, President of Renaissance Group, noted that Renaissance Alliance offers member agencies the culture, the capacity, and the capability to significantly exceed the industry's anemic annual growth of 5 or 6 percent. He cited the Alliance's progress in marketing initiatives, data management, and the addition of exclusive value-added industry insurance programs as distinguishing factors allowing members to successfully compete, differentiate, and innovate in the market. He announced the following growth milestones:

• Membership grew to a total of 65 agencies throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
• The number of affiliated carriers providing service to Alliance agencies grew to 35 national and regional insurers.
• Aggregate premium under management totaled $335 million, with 53 percent of the premium in personal lines and 47 percent in commercial lines.
• Renaissance Alliance issued 228,000 policies in the prior year: 190,000 policies in personal lines and 38,000 policies in commercial lines.
• Members' aggregate loss ratio for the prior three years totaled 41.4 percent.
• Renaissance Alliance was named as #21 in the nation's top 100 Property and Casualty Agents in Insurance Journal.

In addition, 10 member agencies were recognized with awards for having reached the landmark of 5 or more years of Renaissance Alliance membership. They are:

• Joseph A. Curley Insurance Agency, Inc., Wakefield MA
• Bates Fullam Insurance Agency, Inc., West Springfield and Wilbraham, MA
• B and M Insurance Agency, Inc., Wakefield MA
• Woodcome Insurance Agency, Inc., Leominster MA
• Pope Insurance Agency, North Attleboro MA
• W.E. Noyes & Son Insurance Agency, Inc., Shirley MA
• Eldredge & Lumpkin Insurance Agency, Inc., Chatham MA
• G.W. Morisi Insurance Agency, Inc., Springfield MA
• Bernard M. Sullivan Insurance Agency, Inc., Ipswich MA
• Ross Insurance Agency, Inc., Holyoke MA

The Renaissance Alliance Annual meeting offers an annual forum for member agencies, partner insurers, Renaissance staff, service providers, and guests to discuss challenges and opportunities facing independent agents. The day’s events included presentations, seminars, awards, lunch, and a cocktail reception. The theme for the 2007 meeting was Putting the Pieces Together, signifying the unified goal of implementing Renaissance Alliance proprietary tools, programs, and marketing initiatives to foster continued growth. Guest speakers included J. Bruce Cochrane, CEO and founder of Renaissance Group; John Hannah, legendary football great, business entrepreneur, and motivational speaker; and Dr. Susan Murphy, author and national expert on multi-generational differences in the workplace. In addition, valued-added exclusive programs were introduced.

As a community service, Renaissance Alliance also hosted tours of Gillette Stadium for residents of The Cape Head Injured Persons' Housing and Education Group, Inc., ("Chip's House"). Residents were taken on a tour of the stadium and had the opportunity to meet and talk with keynote speaker Johan Hannah.

Posted by Renaissance Group at 8:55 PM | Permalink

J. Bruce Cochrane, President of Renaissance Group announces the addition of six new member agencies to Renaissance Alliance, a coalition of independent agencies, insurers, and service providers. The new member agencies include:

• Cabot Risk Strategies, LLC Woburn, MA
• Squeri Agency, Inc. Branford, CT
• Employers Insurance Group, Inc., Fitchburg, MA
• Linnane Insurance Agency, North Reading, MA
• Andrew G. Gordon, Inc., Norwell, MA
• Regan Insurance Agency, Inc., Waltham, MA

Of the appointments, Cochrane states, "These agencies are best in class, high performing agencies. Renaissance Alliance recruits and accepts only the most forward-looking and progressive members who are committed to impeccable standards of integrity, service, and excellence." He notes that the new members reflect Renaissance Alliance's core commitment to real agency growth. Each new agency is dedicated to getting to the next level and has joined to take advantage of the growth opportunities generated by Renaissance Alliance.

Renaissance Alliance members maintain full autonomy as independent agencies. Membership affords access to additional insurers, insurance products and specialized expertise, as well as shared administrative services and technologies. Cochrane states "Member agencies are able to provide their clients with a level of products, service and expertise associated with the largest of regional brokers, while continuing their tradition of local personalized service."

About Renaissance Alliance: www.renaissanceins.com - Renaissance Alliance is a constellation of carefully selected independent agencies, insurers, and vendors leveraging their considerable combined expertise to deliver "Best in Business" insurance services to personal and commercial insureds throughout New England. Renaissance Alliance is administered by Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services, LLC, a member of the Renaissance Group, with headquarters in Wellesley, MA

Posted by Renaissance Group at 12:41 PM | Permalink

Renaissance Alliance is featured in an article entitled A Great Revival by Dennis Pillsbury in Rough Notes. The article focuses on the many ways that Renaissance Alliance helps independent agents grow, prosper and stay independent. Here's an excerpt:

"Many agencies don’t have the wherewithal to hire a person for each function. What is needed is a jack-of-all-trades who can take over any position from the agency owner. However, few individuals have the diverse talents needed to handle all the functions required to have a smoothly running insurance agency. But, Bruce thought, a separate entity could hire a number of individuals with those talents and make them available to independent agents that wanted to get out from under marketing and administrative chores. Such a group could bring economies of scale to bear and could also provide marketing advantages by having a volume of business that would be of interest to insurance companies."

Continue reading A Great Revival.

The Rough Notes Company has been providing news, information, and services to property/casualty insurance agents and brokers since its founding in 1878.

Posted by Renaissance Group at 12:50 PM | Permalink

WELLESLEY, MA — J. Bruce Cochrane, President of Renaissance Group announces the addition of two new member agencies to Renaissance Alliance, a coalition of independent agencies, insurers, and service providers. The new member agencies include:

• UCN Insurance Services, LLC, Natick, Mass.
• Anastasi Insurance Agency, Shrewsbury, Mass.

Of the appointments, Cochrane states, "These agencies are best in class, high performing agencies. Renaissance Alliance recruits and accepts only the most forward-looking and progressive members who are committed to impeccable standards of integrity, service, and excellence." He notes that the new members reflect Renaissance Alliance’s increasing activity in Connecticut, as well as its continuing commitment to the Massachusetts market.
Renaissance Alliance members maintain full autonomy as independent agencies. Membership affords access to additional insurers, insurance products and specialized expertise, as well as shared administrative services and technologies. Cochrane states "Member agencies are able to provide their clients with a level of products, service and expertise associated with the largest of regional brokers, while continuing their tradition of local personalized service."

Posted by Renaissance Group at 9:04 AM | Permalink

Where Necessity Meets Opportunity: New Avenues Open for Agents
By J. Bruce Cochrane, President, Renaissance Group
Reprinted by permission, The Standard, November 3, 2006

An old adage asserts that out of crisis arises opportunity. Not all crises come paired with their own solutions, but a unique confluence of forces affecting Massachusetts’ independent insurance agencies is setting the stage for both a profitability crisis and the means to overcome it. Agencies that successfully weather this storm will be those who can foresee it, recognize the opportunity, and mobilize swiftly enough to take advantage of it. [ continue reading PDF ]

Posted by Renaissance Group at 3:23 PM | Permalink

350 Members and Partners Celebrate, Plan Continued Growth at Annual Meeting

Renaissance Alliance recently hosted its third annual meeting at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. More than 350 representatives from New England agencies, insurers, and vendors attended the event to review the growth and achievements of the prior year and to plan for continued growth of both the group and each of its independent partner agencies.

At the October event, J. Bruce Cochrane, President of Renaissance Group, noted that the Renaissance Alliance offers member agencies the opportunity to successfully compete, differentiate, and innovate in the market, while maintaining independence and locality, critical to service excellence. He announced the following accomplishments in the prior year:

• Membership grew to a total of 52, with 67 locations throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
• The number of affiliated carriers providing service to Alliance agencies grew to 30 national and regional insurers.
• Aggregate premium under management totaled nearly $300 million, a 24 percent growth from 2005
• Renaissance Alliance issued 200,300 policies for 122,000 personal and commercial accounts. Member agencies insure 2.9 percent of the total vehicles registered in Massachusetts.
•  Members aggregate loss ratio for the prior three years totaled 44.8 percent.

In addition, 17 member agencies were recognized with commemorative awards for having reached the landmark of 5 or more years of membership in Renaissance Alliance. These agencies include:

• Cochrane & Porter Insurance Agency, Inc., Wellesley, Mass.
• The Fair Insurance Agency, Inc., Centerville, Mass.
• Wolpert Insurance Agency, Inc., Worcester, Mass.
• Bradley P. Howes, Jr. Insurance Agency, LLC, Concord, Mass.
• Meagher Insurance Agency, Inc., Rockland, Mass.
• The Gaudreau Group, Inc., Wilbraham MA
• Bjorkland & Reilly Insurance Agency, Inc., Milton, Mass.
• William L. Goodrich Agency, Inc., Milton, Mass.
• Borawski Insurance, Sturbridge, Mass.
• Costello Insurance Agency, Inc., Bradford, Mass.
• American Heritage Insurance Agency, Inc., West Springfield, Mass.
• Akey Insurance Agency, Inc., Greenfield, Mass.
• Wiersma Insurance Agency, LLC, Whitinsville, Mass.
• Bouvier Insurance Agency, Sturbridge, Mass.
• E. J. Stochaj Insurance Agency, Inc., Dudley, Mass.
• Wayside Insurance Agency, Inc., Framingham, Mass.
• Hollis Insurance Agency, Inc., Plymouth, Mass.

The Renaissance Alliance Annual meeting offers an annual forum for member agencies, partner insurers, Renaissance staff, service providers, and guests to discuss challenges and opportunities facing independent agents. The day’s events included presentations, seminars, awards, lunch, and a cocktail reception. The theme for the 2006 meeting was RAISing Expectations: Getting to the Next Level. Guest speakers included J. Bruce Cochrane, CEO and founder of Renaissance Group; Gerald Faust, noted national entrepreneurial consultant and renowned motivational speaker and president, and founder, Faust Management Consulting; Lloyd Skip Daigle Vice President, Agency Development and Sales, Travelers; Ed Dvorak, President, ECD Associates; Stephen Faust, Senior Consultant, Faust Management Corporation; and Ron Harrell AMS Sales Engineer and Consultant. New, valued-added member programs were also introduced, including group buying programs, disaster recovery planning services, and planned member upgrades to AMS 360 computer systems.

Posted by Renaissance Group at 9:33 AM | Permalink

Agency Coalition Affords Additional Benefits, Economies of Scale

WELLESLEY, MA — J. Bruce Cochrane, President of Renaissance Group announces the addition of eight new member agencies to Renaissance Alliance, a coalition of independent agencies, insurers, and service providers. The new member agencies include:

• May, Bonee & Walsh, Inc., East Berlin, CT
  
• James P. Murphy & Assoc, Inc., Norwalk, CT
  
• Scott Insurance, Stratford, CT
  
• Sumner & Sumner Insurance Agency, Willimantic, CT
  
• Roger Keith & Sons Insurance Agency, Inc., Brockton, MA and Middleborough, MA
  
• Scanlon Insurance Agency, East Longmeadow, MA
  
• CAV Insurance Agency, Wellesley, MA
  
• Newport Insurance Agency, Newport, RI

Of the appointments, Cochrane states, "These agencies are best in class, high performing agencies. Renaissance Alliance recruits and accepts only the most forward-looking and progressive members who are committed to impeccable standards of integrity, service, and excellence." He notes that the new members reflect Renaissance Alliance’s increasing activity in Connecticut, as well as its continuing commitment to the Massachusetts market.

Renaissance Alliance members maintain full autonomy as independent agencies. Membership affords access to additional insurers, insurance products and specialized expertise, as well as shared administrative services and technologies. Cochrane states “Member agencies are able to provide their clients with a level of products, service and expertise associated with the largest of regional brokers, while continuing their tradition of local personalized service”.

About Renaissance Alliance: www.renaissanceins.com - Renaissance Alliance is a constellation of carefully selected independent agencies, insurers, and vendors leveraging their considerable combined expertise to deliver "Best in Business" insurance services and products. Membership currently includes 54 agencies and 24 insurance companies. Renaissance Alliance is administered by Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services, LLC is member of the Renaissance Group, with headquarters in Wellesley, MA.

Posted by Renaissance Group at 8:58 AM | Permalink