MINNEAPOLIS – August 23, 2018 – Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting (ABRC) retains its Best Practices status, once again becoming a part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States. This status comes by participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) Best Practices Study group. The annual survey and Study of leading independent insurance agencies documents the business practices of the “best” agencies and urges others to adopt similar practices.
Since 1993, IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, have joined forces to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories. The agencies comprising the study groups are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a “Best Practices Agency” designation. The agency was nominated by either an IIABA affiliated state association or an insurance company and qualified based on its operational excellence.
The selected Best Practices agencies retain their status during the three-year cycle by submitting extensive financial and operational data for review each year. This is the third year of the current three-year study, where over 1,500 independent agencies throughout the U.S. were nominated to take part in the annual study in 2016, but only 262 agencies qualified for the honor. To be chosen, the agency had to be among the 35-45 top-performing agencies in one of six revenue categories.
“As a premier national firm with a global reach, we have a passion for service and demonstrate it through modern solutions and a strong partnership with our clients,” said Dean Hildebrandt, CEO, Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting. “We are known for our high energy, innovation and commitment — to our clients and each other. This recognition is a sign of that commitment.”
ABRC is a subsidiary of Associated Bank, N.A. (NYSE: ASB). Associated Bank is known for its strong relationships with the customers and communities it serves.
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ABOUT ASSOCIATED BANC-CORP
Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB) has total assets of $34 billion and is one of the top 50 publicly traded U.S. bank holding companies. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Associated is a leading Midwest banking franchise, offering a full range of financial products and services from more than 230 banking locations serving more than 110 communities throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota, and commercial financial services in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Texas. Associated Bank, N.A. is an Equal Housing Lender, Equal Opportunity Lender and Member FDIC. More information about Associated Banc-Corp is available at www.associatedbank.com
ABOUT ASSOCIATED BENEFITS AND RISK CONSULTING
As a premier firm with a global reach, ABRC has a passion for service and demonstrates it through innovation and partnering with clients. We are dedicated to strengthening our clients’ bottom line and assisting them in achieving their goals. Beyond traditional benefits and insurance, ABRC delivers tools and specialized resources designed to support the unique needs of our clients. Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting is a subsidiary of Associated Bank, N.A. (NYSE: ASB). Web address: www.associatedbrc.com
ABOUT Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA)
Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance – property, casualty, life and health – as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagents.com
