CELEBRATING 25 WILSON M. BECK INSURANCE SERVICES INC. HAS BEEN PROVIDING EXPERT ADVICE WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH FOR OVER A QUARTER CENTURY

Transcription

1 WILSON M. BECK INSURANCE SERVICES INC. CELEBRATING 25 YEARS WILSON M. BECK INSURANCE SERVICES INC. HAS BEEN PROVIDING EXPERT ADVICE WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH FOR OVER A QUARTER CENTURY WHEN BURNABY-BASED WILSON M. BECK Insurance success. We ve been fortunate to have attracted a number of highly skilled, dedicated Services Inc. marked 25 years in business last year, staff celebrated the milestone with optimism for the future, and professionals to work for our company. they took some time out to reflect on the company s birth. They re in early, they stay late and no one goes In 1981, we started with seven staff members and leased space in home until the job is done. an office building on Pender Street, recalls senior vice-president The professional standards set when the Robert (Bob) Ball. Like today, the staff were full of enthusiasm but the company was founded have remained impeccably high. We act on behalf of our clients to harsh reality of an economic downturn tested their spirits. It seemed the next day the recession hit, interest rates went to negotiate the best possible terms for their 22 per cent, and to top it off, BC Tel went on strike, recalls chief insurance requirements, says Beck. That s executive officer Wilson Beck. our job. The company does this so well that Fast forward 26 years and Beck can confidently say that the early its very first client, Farrell Estates, is still a struggles paid off. In terms of revenue generated, Wilson M. Beck client today. Insurance Services is now one of Canada s top 30 privately owned An early decision was made by the company to incorporate in the United States. insurance brokerages. The firm now has a staff of 45, owns its office space, has over 2,000 clients, and successfully expanded to Kelowna a Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services (U.S.) Inc. decade ago with managing partner Steven Pavelich. was incorporated in 1987 to serve the needs Wilson Beck is quick to give credit to his team for the company s of its Canadian clients doing business in the > PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

2 The right partner can help you get a leg up on the competition. CNA Canada believes the professionalism and integrity of our brokers are crucial to the success of our partnership. Sharing this same belief, Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc. provides exceptional customer service that exceeds clients expectations. We would like to thank Wilson Beck for such a solid partnership and we look forward to continued success in the future. One or more of the CNA insurance companies underwrite the products and services described. Information is for illustrative purposes only and is not a contract. This document is intended to provide a general overview of products and services described. Remember that only the policy can provide the actual description, terms, conditions and exclusions. All coverages not available in all provinces. CNA, the OneWorld design, and the One Product One Source design are registered trade-marks of CNA Financial Corporation that are used under license Continental Casualty Company, Toronto, Canada. United States. This provided the bonding and construction insurance service needed for construction clients but also property, casualty and other miscellaneous insurance for its non-construction-related clients. We formed a corporate relationship with Parker, Smith and Feek Inc. in Seattle, which is the largest broker of contract bonding and construction insurance in the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska, says Beck. A consultative, knowledge-based approach immediately set this family owned and operated firm apart from the large national and international brokerages with whom they compete. We sell knowledge and expert advice, not pieces of paper, explains chief operating officer, David Beck. We re more like a law firm or accounting firm clients come to us because they know we can handle complex risk-management issues. Peter Rezansoff of ITC Construction Inc. has been a Wilson M. Beck Insurance client since the early 1990s and finds its straightforward style refreshing. We have an excellent business relationship that is built on trust and results, says Rezansoff. Our companies have similar operative principles in serving our clients through knowledge and skills. He says ITC s growth has been well supported by Wilson M. Beck Insurance and he is very proud to be associated with the company.

3 WILSON M. BECK INSURANCE SERVICES INC. Clockwise from left: Wilson Beck celebrates the company s 25-year anniversary; Laguna Parkside Residences near Stanley Park; construction of the Flatiron building, Vancouver. The company s commitment to its clients extends far beyond the typical nine-to-five day. Wilson M. Beck Insurance staff also spend time volunteering in clients industries, another key factor that has led to the brokerage s success. Understanding our clients industries helps us do our job better, says David Beck. Likewise, anything we can do to make our associations or industries stronger, we would gladly volunteer our time. The Beck clan has a long history as industry leaders. For example, Wilson Beck became the first non-construction person to chair the Amalgamated Construction Association (ACA), the largest construction association in the Lower Mainland at the time. The tradition continues 26 years later with his son David chairing the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (formerly ACA). Wilson s other son Graham spent seven years on the executive of the B.C. Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association. Partner Steve Pavelich currently sits as vicechair of the British Columbia Construction Association. In addition, the firm is active in the Canadian Construction Association, Electrical Contractors Association of B.C., the Urban Development Institute, and the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association. This approach has earned Wilson M. Beck Insurance an enviable reputation for being specialists in the construction, road building and development industries. Many of the largest contractors in B.C. are now listed as its clients, including ITC Construction Inc., Norson Construction, the JJM Group, Wales McLelland Construction, Timberline Construction, the Haebler Group, The C&S Group, and Winvan Paving. Some of the projects it has arranged insurance products for include: the Capilano pump station, the Coquitlam Dam seismic upgrade, UBC Marine Towers, the Vancouver Island Convention Centre, Whistler s Nita Lake Lodge, Surrey s Infinity Project, The Flat Iron building, the Terminal City Club complex, and the Shangri-La in downtown Vancouver. Vice-president Chris Haag explains that as a broker, if you insure construction risks you need to know what to Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc. on its continued growth and success!

4 Travelers Guarantee is proud to partner with Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc. Travelers Guarantee Company of Canada Surety*Warranty*Specialty Insurance you re doing. On a job site you re dealing with multiple tradespeople all working within a few feet of one another. The larger the project, the greater chance of an accident happening. Ball adds, Construction clients are unique in that we are constantly in contact with them. They ll need insurance or bonding advice on each project, they ll constantly be buying, selling or renting equipment, or they ll be dealing with claims issues. I have files that don t leave my desk. Below: Construction of the Vancouver Island Convention Centre. is proud of our 25-year relationship with Wilson M. Beck Insurance Service. Best wishes for continued success! Granville Street, Vancouver P: F: AXA Trisura Guarantee.indd Pacific Insurance 1 Company, one of Western Canada's largest sureties with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, is pleased to be associated with Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc., providing surety bonds for our mutual clients. A Member of SC International with Offices Throughout the World A Proudly Canadian Bonding Company Vancouver (604) Calgary (403) Toronto (416) Montreal (514) a step above 6/15/07 2:38:08 PM Congratulations, Wilson M. Beck Insurance! Constant contact, face-to-face meetings and weekly conversations are part of the service efforts that are gratefully acknowledged by clients like Ron McNeil of Lower Mainland Steel. They re a large company now but I can still phone up and get David on the phone. They continue to have that personal touch. Their staff makes regular visits to our offices. McNeil says that the company overachieves in all areas. They took a risk on us when we were building our business to allow for our bonding capacity to grow. We ve since transferred all of our insurance over to them, including our personal homes and cars. And a lot of times when we re bidding it s last minute, and we may be running late with submissions, but they never let us down. For our insurance they always come through and get us competitive rates. This service is made possible since Wilson M. Beck Insurance brokers work in teams of at least two people from each department (personal lines, surety/contract bonding and commercial). This means that a client can call any time and speak to five or six people who will be familiar with its account Though Wilson M. Beck Insurance s 26-year history has not been without its challenges, the company has managed to turn trying times into periods of growth. The fallout

5 WILSON M. BECK INSURANCE SERVICES INC. Above from left: The Cove Lakeside Resort near Westbank; Norpac Controls headquarters in Burnaby. from September 11, 2001 is one example. In 2001, the insurance industry was heading into a hard market, meaning rates were increasing and insurers were backing off certain classes of business, says David Beck. The tragedy of September 11 compounded the hard market exponentially. Many companies found that they couldn t buy insurance because it was unavailable or they had to pay exorbitant rates. We were still able to operate in a very tough business economy for insurance, he says. We found solutions for our clients. We also had a lot of new clients come to us from other brokerages because they were unable to obtain coverage. The company had its first notable period of growth in the construction industry surrounding Expo 86. The second came in 1988 when the provincial government privatized the maintenance and management of the provincial highway system into 28 zones and Wilson M. Beck Insurance arranged the bonding and insurance for nearly half of them. Most recently, it has benefited from the strong development and construction activity in the province. There s no doubt the 2010 Winter Olympics awarded to Vancouver/Whistler acted as a catalyst for a lot of the construction going on in the Lower Mainland right now, but we need to keep in mind that they re eally a small part of the overall construction activity going on in the province, says David Beck. The facilities for the Games are projected to cost about $600 million; the major project inventory list for B.C. is in excess of $120 billion. I think we really have to thank the current provincial government for putting the policies in place to make B.C. INSURANCE an investment-friendly province again. Looking ahead to the future, the brokerage is yet again taking a unique approach by employing younger, highly qualified staff. Most of the staff is under 40 and there s going to be a skilled-labour shortage in the next 25 years when the majority of the baby boomers will be hitting retirement. We re taking a long-term view of things and training our people well, says Haag. This corporate strategy is working very well for us. The insurance brokerage business will always be the family s main focus, however, in today s business environment, the company is looking at diversification opportunities. My brother Graham has been looking into real estate, financing, and other investment opportunities for us, explains David Beck. Likewise, we re looking to diversify the brokerage a bit more. We re pretty specialized Did you know you can offer your employees savings on their home insurance? All it will cost you is a phone call. You know that a comprehensive benefits package is a good way to retain employees. That s why ING Novex has developed an innovative way to enhance your benefits package at no cost to your organization. If your company employs more than 250 people, Novex Group Insurance can offer your employees savings on their home insurance*. Your employees can customize their home protection at a discount, and they ll have you to thank for the savings. And all it will cost you is a phone call. For more information and the name of a Novex broker near you, contact: Tierra Rairie, CIP Regional Manager, Novex Group Insurance tel: or ext 6581 tierra.rairie@ingcanada.com *some restrictions may apply

6 Working with brokers like Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc. to provide consumers with complete insurance solutions. Western Surety.indd 1 We are proud of our association with Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc. A Partner in your Business s success WESTERN SURETY Company A HILL COMPANY Regina, Saskatchewan (Head Office) Phone: Toll Free: Fax: For more information visit our website at We bring talent and opportunity together Specializing in the insurance industry for 30 years We place all levels of expertise from Executive to Administrative personnel Operating with the utmost integrity and confidentiality Visit our website for up-to-date job listings! Granville St.,Vancouver, BC /4/07 8:10:03 AM WILSON M. BECK INSURANCE INC. in construction and development so we re going to pursue other classes of business such as alternate energy, mining, high-tech and bio-tech [sectors]. The more complicated and difficult the risk, the better that s where we excel. One client that can attest to this statement is Jason McLean, president and COO of The McLean Group, a company comprised of Vancouver Film Studios, real-estate holdings and telecommunication and aviation businesses. We re a complicated animal, he says. We require insurance for everything from vehicles to real estate, office space to helicopters and then we blow a lot of it up for the camera. With 120 employees, McLean says it s still a small company but it s treated like a big customer by Wilson M. Beck Insurance. They took the time to get to know us, so they could shop our insurance requirements well to the major insurance companies, he says. The brokerage s secure business stance and reputation, which held initial appeal to McLean, has borne out. They know how to deal with the big insurance companies and have the horsepower to get good results. They re also set up properly so are really responsive in dealing with anything that comes up. To accommodate the company s growth, David Beck is seeking larger premises in both the Lower Mainland and Kelowna. He is also keeping an eye out for acquisition opportunities. We re hopeful that the right fit will come along and we can acquire other brokerages, he says. We re definitely in a growth mode and hope that the experience we ve gained in our first 25 years has provided us well for meeting the challenges of the next 25 years. The goal is to pass on a strong company to the third generation. But it is a fair bet that regardless of how large the company grows, providing expert service to its loyal and increasing customer base will remain the top priority. This promotional feature was prepared for Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc. by BCBusiness magazine s Special Advertising Features Dept. Writer: Rebecca Keillor. For information contact BCBusiness director of corporate features John Cochrane at jcochrane@canadawide.com

7 BONDING AND INSURING BC S CONSTRUCTION BOOM WILSON M. BECK INSURANCE SERVICES INC. VANCOUVER KELOWNA