FARM FAMILY INSURANCE OPENS OFFICE IN AVON
By Barbara Thomas - Editor
Valley Press, July, 2009
A new family has moved into Old Avon Village. It's not typical family but rather, an insurance firm with the name Farm Family.
While their main mission is to provide insurance coverage to businesses such as farms, the people who work for this company also aim to live up to the name by dealing with customers like they're family.
"We're passionate about knowing the people we insure," said Ron Hocutt, one of the four agents who opened the Avon office of Farm Family, the company's newest in Connecticut.
There are eight other offices in the state, some in rural communities such as Bantam and Lebanon, and one in Vernon, where Hocutt primarily works.
Since the Farmington Valley area has a "tremendous number of farms," and since they were already insuring many people in this area, the company decided to open an office here to offer a convenience to existing customers and to recruit new ones.
Their special niche includes agribusiness, horse farms and the green industry, such as tree services, landscapers and floral operations. They also work with contractors and supermarkets.
"Such businesses need a plan that includes legal and insurance services," Hocutt said. "We provide enough coverage to make sure they don't lose their business."
Farm Family offers packages of life insurance and specialized property and casualty insurance to businesses and residents of rural and suburban communites in the Northeastern United States, stretching from Maine to West Virginia. Packages include general liability, business insurance, workman's comensation and life insurance.
"We have one of the best packages of insurance for equine businesses, where the risks are high," Hocutt said. "We know how to write those risks."
The company, which is based in Albany, NY., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American National Insurance. It was started 60 years ago by the Farms Bureau, by farmers for farmers.
"A farming community is a model for knowing your neighbor and pulling together."Hocutt said.
Both Hocutt and Ross Luginbuhl were customers of Farm Family before becoming agents for the company; that's how sold they were on the product.
"I was the second generation in my family running a dairy farm and I went from client to agent," Luginbuhl said.
"I was a client of Ross' for my horse farm," Hocutt said, "I was so sold on it I changed my career," The company has grown through the years by word of mouth and reputations, not via TV commercials, which is why their name is not as well-known as other insurance carriers, they said.
"If we do a great job for you, tell someone else," they say to their customer, Hocutt said.
We provide peace of mind. It's an issue of trust. They're spending as little as possible for as much coverage as possible."
Insuring three generations of one farm family the biggest testament to their reputation, he said. And the company has a business retention rate of more than 90 percent.
"Even in a difficult economy, or business is growing," Luginbuhl said.
The agents say the company they work for is one of integrity, where the CEO knows all employees and there's a low turnover in personnel.
While Hocutt and Luginbuhl will be part of the Avon operation, that office will be staffed primarily by agents Bo Muschinsky and Anthony Riccio, who was recently hired.
"Insurance is where my heart is, and I've known Ron a long time," said Riccio, who has worked in other lines of business through the years. "This is a great opportunity."
To reach the Avon office, located at 25 East Main St. in Old Avon Village, call 269-3240.
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