Valdosta Insurance Takes the "Commodity" Out of Insurance
Wednesday, September 10th, 2014
Insurance ads from Geico and Progressive may have you chuckling and expecting to save $300 on "commodity" insurance. Valdosta Insurance Services takes a different approach – delivering value by educating clients and meeting their specific needs.
"We want to help business owners with their business insurance, personal insurance for their homes and autos and we want to insure their employees," said Matt Dorsey, operations manager for Valdosta Insurance Services.
"Being located in a small town, we want to help everyone who comes through our door."
The firm helps its clients understand the role of insurance in managing the risk of experiencing a negative event in their lives, be it a fire, theft, car accident, lawsuit or natural disaster. Educating customers on this sometime difficult topic is how Valdosta Insurance sets itself apart from "commodity" insurance providers.
The South Georgia insurance agency was founded by Ben Hill Roberts, Jr. in 1933 and operated for 53 years as Roberts Insurance Agency, Inc. In 1986, the corporate name was changed to Valdosta Insurance Services, Inc. The present owners and officers of the company are Len Carter, Bryon Courson, and Julian (Trey) Sherwood, III. The firm has five insurance professionals and nine support staff.
Growing by word of mouth
According to Dorsey, Valdosta Insurance is growing in spite of the economy. The firm does no direct radio or television advertising. Instead growth comes from referrals. Most clients are located in or around Lowndes County, and many have been with Valdosta Insurance since the early 1990s.
"We have some commercial accounts that have been with us for 50+ years," Dorsey said.
The firm works to stay at the forefront of technology, ensuring information is readily available to clients online. It also holds webinars to help customers get the most out of their risk management platforms.
Supporting the community
Community service is part of the mentality at Valdosta Insurance. Trey Sherwood serves on the Valdosta City School Board and others have participated in Leadership Lowndes, the Rotary Club and the Kiwanis Club.
"Any advertising money we spend is focused on nonprofits that we insure or community support," Dorsey said.
"For example, we've done radio spots supporting local high school football teams."
More information on Valdosta Insurance Services is available at www.valdostainsurance.com.
