Feb 19, 2004

Hotchkiss Insurance Agency Form Workers’ Compensation GroupSource: Hotchkiss Insurance Agency, Inc.

Hotchkiss Insurance Agency, Inc. (HIA), a leading insurance provider to the building industry, announced that the Texas Department of Insurance has approved their Texas Green Industry Workers’ Compensation Group. The purchasing group, combined with management training and a safety program, will be part of a comprehensive program designed to provide members of the Texas green industry and their employees a competitive option for acquiring workers’ compensation insurance. This will effect growers, landscape contractors, retail nurseries and allied green industry businesses.

The primary benefit the HIA will be providing to the Texas Green Industry Workers’ Compensation Group will give members the ability to qualify for a premium discount. “One of the immediate benefits of the group is the application of the 10.5% premium discount to each member, regardless of premium size,” reports Anne Davis, president of sales for HIA. “This substantial amount is otherwise unavailable to the typical individual policyholder.”

Another benefit is a customized safety training program, designed to promote better industry safety practices. The safety program will give member employees the opportunity to earn policy dividends as a group in addition to the individual dividends they may qualify for on their own. In addition to the safety program, the HIA will work with the green industry members to promote the Green Industry Workers’ Compensation Group in Texas in the following ways: Identifying expert speakers for educational safety programs at association meetings; Providing informative articles for newsletters; Building a Q&A database regarding topics in the field of insurance coverage; Working to build informative links on web sites for members to easily access; Actively working with the green industry to gain new members.

Membership in the Green Industry Workers’ Compensation Group may include workers in the following Texas green industry businesses: wholesale and driver nurseries; greenhouse growing operations and drivers; landscape gardening and drivers; lawn sprinkler installation and drivers; garden supply stores; farms; and lawn maintenance-by contract.

For more information, visit www.hotchkissins.com.