Welcome to the fall issue of The Summit. Summer is over, and based on the increased submission activity, businesses are back to work.

For this issue, we want to change the focus. Instead of talking about types of risks and their environmental issues, we are taking some time to look at the other end of the insurance contract: the carrier offering the coverage. In an environment of heightened competition, the agents who know their carriers and understand how to explain their value to the customer will be far more successful. The majority of consumers understand that insurance is not made up solely of the price being charged. Agents who can explain all the important factors that go into making a coverage decision will be more successful and respected by both their clients and peers.

What makes a carrier a good partner for an insured over the life of the policy and beyond? Why is selection of a carrier partner as important as the coverage form itself? We will take a look at these and other questions in this issue.

In addition, we’ve asked some of our carrier partners to weigh in on what makes their unique differences important, and how they define value. Where do they see the market heading, and what are their issues? As always, their responses are informative and interesting.

Finally, we have an update on market trends and another employee profile to share.

Thank you for reading The Summit, and for providing us with your feedback as we work to continue improving the publication.