Landscape Magazine Publishes Drew Garcia’s Mobility & Stretch Routine

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

In this month’s NALP’s The Landscape Professional magazine, Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia shared his insights on how landscape companies can benefit from a mobility and stretch program.

“Starting the day off with a mobility and stretch routine can help employees prepare for the day ahead by activating their bodies for physical activity,” writes Drew Garcia.

Drew includes helpful tips on how to effectively implement a consistent program, as well as information on ways to integrate safety and participation.

To learn more about how your company may benefit from a mobility & stretch program, please contact Drew Garcia at (619) 937-0200 or drewgarcia@ranchomesa.com.

Rancho Mesa Team Celebrates Being Back Together

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Monday, August 2, 2021 Rancho Mesa welcomed back their team members to both its Santee and La Mesa offices.

After working from home for over a year, the team enjoyed being able to catch up with one another face-to-face during an ice cream social enjoyed outside, on a sunny Monday afternoon at the Santee office.

The team had primarily communicated with their co-workers using virtual platforms over that last year and a half, so there was a lot of catching up to do.

For employees hired during the pandemic, this was their first time meeting the entire Rancho Mesa team in person. It was nice to see the team back together, smiling and enjoying each other’s company.

Business Owners Learn How to Protect Against Cyber Threats

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Michael Armstrong, Production Underwriter for Evolve MGA, an award-winning managing general agent that specializes in cyber insurance, took to the web and broke down the importance of cyber insurance and how companies can avoid a cyber attack in a detailed webinar hosted on July 22nd, 2021 for Rancho Mesa’s clients.

Attendees learned that phishing is the action of sending fraudulent emails mimicking a reputable company or person for the sake of gaining access to sensitive information. Michael explained the simplest form of phishing is an email or web link that is similar to a legitimate one, often changing only one letter. 

Phishing works by tricking the email recipient into clicking on a link that triggers malware to be downloaded and installed on the system. From there, the hackers can encrypt the data and request a ransom or sell the data on the dark web. Michael shared that on average, a business doesn’t identify a breach for up to 197 days. Imagine the damage that could be done without a good cyber policy.

Companies large and small have experienced data breaches due to cybercrimes. With technology ever changing, it’s never been a better time to review your current cyber insurance policy or start looking for coverage. Thanks to Michael and Evolve MGA for providing such valuable information to our clients.

If you’re interested in getting a cyber insurance quote, contact Rancho Mesa at (619) 937-0164.

Sentry Achieves Impressive A+ Rating for 30 Years

Author, Megan Lockhart, Surety and Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa congratulates Sentry Insurance in achieving an A+ rating by AM Best for the 30th year straight.

AM Best is the world-wide leading credit rating authority specializing in the insurance industry. Less than 15% of property and casualty insurance companies in the U.S. receive the A+ status. According to AM Best, this rating is assigned only to companies who have “a superior ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.”

“Being assigned this rating for 30 years running is a truly remarkable achievement,” Pete McPartland, Sentry chairman of the board, president, and CEO said.

Sentry and its subsidiaries offer property, casualty, and life insurance, as well as annuities and retirement programs for their business and individual clients throughout the nation. 

“It’s a testament to the dedication, industry experience, and high level of customer service our associates and retirees have brought to the table day in and day out,” McPartland said.

The achievement is especially exciting for the company considering the challenging year COVID-19 caused for businesses in the country.

“Despite the challenges of a nationwide pandemic, our sound business practices allowed us to achieve positive results this past year,” Todd Schroeder, Sentry chief financial officer and president of life and annuities, said.

Sentry maintains high standards for its broker partners, thus maintaining a limited number of appointments. Rancho Mesa is honored to work with a financially superior insurance company.

“We at Rancho Mesa are very proud to have been chosen to be a part of that exclusive group and represent one of the top rated insurance carriers in the nation,” David Garcia, president of Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, said.

Sentry plans to continue its impressive success as the company moves on from the pandemic and into a bright future.

“Through the development and use of industry-leading technology, we’ve provided our customers a better overall experience [which] has been invaluable to our success. We’re poised to exit the pandemic as an even stronger company and provide our customers the protection and services they rely on.”

Employee Spotlight: RMI’s Surety and Media Department Welcomes Megan

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa would like to welcome, Megan Lockhart to the Surety department and Media Communications team. 

Megan recently graduated from Baylor University with a journalism degree as well as a background in public relations and social media.

One of her passions is connecting with people and the community making her a great fit to the team.  Besides being a people person, Megan also enjoys spending time writing, going to the beach and spending time with her very large lap dog, Alta. 

Rancho Mesa is excited to have Megan and add her experience and charisma to the family.

Rancho Mesa Earns “Best Practices Agency” Designation for 15th Consecutive Year

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc., a leading Southern California commercial insurance brokerage, has been recognized by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big “I”) as a Best Practices Agency for the fifteenth consecutive year.

Of the roughly 35,000 independent insurance agencies in the U.S., only about 120 are chosen each year for this distinction.

In order to participate, an agency must first be nominated by the Big “I.” Then, it must submit detailed financial and operational information which is analyzed, scored, and ranked objectively based on operational excellence, including: outstanding customer services, growth, stability, and financial management. The top agencies in six revenue categories are included, notified and deemed "Best Practices Agencies."

Each year, the Big “I” publishes its "Best Practices Study" using financial and operational data collected from agencies throughout the United States. The 2021 Best Practices Study will be available later this year. It will include a list of all the Best Practices Agencies by state and the results of the study.

To learn more about what it takes to be a "Best Practices Agency," visit www.independentagent.com/best-practices.

About Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big "I") is a national alliance of more than a quarter million business owners and their employees who offer all types of insurance and financial services products. For more information, visit www.independentagent.com.

Client Spotlight: Advanced Painting Shines like a Star!

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Advanced Painting & Wood Repair has been in the industry for over 40 years and with that comes experienced and expert staff.  The proof is in the pudding. Or, is it in the paint?  Recently, the Advanced Painting team had a number of their staff enroll in the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ program.  In just a few weeks they had a record number of participants achieve their certificates’ of completion and more keep coming in each week.

"Companies like Advanced Painting are exactly who carriers want to pair with when it comes to safety. Programs like Safety Star can help lower the probability of accidents on the job site, promote a safer culture and potentially lower your overall insurance costs," says Casey Craig, Account Executive with Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. 

Rancho Mesa congratulates to the entire Advanced Painting team for their achievements.

The RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program is designed for supervisors, foremen, safety coordinators, and upper management in the construction industry, or administrators, directors of human resources, facilities/operations managers and safety committee members in human services organizations.  

To get your team on the path to becoming Safety Stars, please visit our RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program webpage and fill out the application form.

Beat the Heat with Heat Illness Prevention Training

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Summer is here and for most of us around the nation, it is about to get hot. 

Zee Reid, Senior Loss Control Specialist from Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies, gave Rancho Mesa clients an in depth look at best practices for creating and implementing a plan to prevent heat illness at our June 24, 2021 webinar. 

With his energy and wit, Zee pointed out best practices while showing examples of what not to do. Tumbleweeds on sticks does not suffice as a shaded area for rest, nor can sugary sodas and sports drinks  take the place of clean potable drinking water on site. Instead, his presentation reinforced that preventing heat illness requires water, shade, and rest.

The Heat Illness Prevention webinar was highly engaging. Our webinar analytics show record tentativeness by the over 30 companies in attendance.

The presentation used by Zee in our webinar can be found in the Risk Management Center, as well as many other resources.

The Heat Illness Prevention training is just one of the topics covered in the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ Program. Register for the program, today to ensure you and your employees are safety stars.

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Congratulates Jose Cuellar in Becoming a Star in Construction Safety

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, Rancho Mesa’s Jose Cuellar, Senior Account Manager for the construction industry, earned his RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™ certificate in Construction Safety.

The RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program is designed for construction and human services supervisors, foremen, safety coordinators, upper management, and administrators, directors of human resources, facilities/operations managers and safety committee members, respectively.

The safety program requires its participants to study incident investigation, along with at least two additional safety topics based on their industry-specific risks. Jose chose courses that directly reflect the risks his clients face in the field.

Jose has been in the insurance industry for 20+ years specializing in the construction industry. He has been a member of the Rancho Mesa family for 5 years and continues to excel in his career in the commercial insurance industry.

If you, or a member of your team, are interested in becoming a Safety Star, please visit our RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program webpage and fill out the application form.

Travelers Shares Best Practices at Fleet Safety Webinar

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

As many people start to head out of their homes and back to the office, the roads have become much busier than we’ve seen during the height of the pandemic. Distractions are at a high and people are out of practice.  Implementing a Fleet Safety program for your business can significantly lower the risk of accidents and cost of claims. Thanks to Travelers, our clients got an inside look on Fleet Safety best practices at our Thursday, May 13, 2021 webinar.

Jose Pineda, Senior Risk Control Consultant, walked the webinar attendees through developing a comprehensive fleet safety program.

The Fleet Safety webinar is part of the RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™. If you are interested in achieving your Safety Star, register today.