Please join us in welcoming Rick Orr as our new Agency Relations/Data Acquisition Representative. Rick is anxious to meet everyone and will be out and about introducing himself and getting to know our Texas agents. Rick can be reached at #830-953-9152 (mobile) or by e-mail at rick@mhi-mga.com. Welcome aboard, Rick!

We are proud to announce the achievement of two of our very own:

Lorrie Cheshier, San Antonio Branch Manager, has been elected to serve on the board of directors for the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLSOT) for 2017.

Shannon Dahlke Applegate, Houston Branch Manager, has been elected to serve on the board of directors for the American Association of Managing General Agents (AAMGA) for 2017.

Please join us in congratulating these two ladies on a job well done!

We have the markets, but YOU can help us get faster quotes and better rates. Make sure your submission contains complete information including 3-5 years prior carrier information, currently valued loss runs and target pricing.

MHI has a new Wind and Hail deductible buyback program! Contact your underwriter or marketing representative for more information.

MHI's Commercial Umbrella/Excess quote module is back online for your use. Low minimum premiums, "A" rated carrier, minimal data entry on your part, and 24/7 website access makes this hard to beat! Click here and try it out today.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to MHI’s Excess Division if you have any questions.

David Jones, VP of Excess and Brokerage Casualty, david@mhi-mga.com

Erika Apuan, Excess Casualty Underwriter, erika@mhi-mga.com

Amber Carroll, Excess and Brokerage casualty underwriting assistant, amber@mhi-mga.com.

As always MHI looks forward to the opportunity to help you place your business.

McClelland & Hine was recognized in a publication of Insurance Business America as Top 24 Wholesale E&S Brokers! Click this link to read more: http://www.ibamag.com/rankings/top-ES-wholesale-brokers-2016/

The Hartford has agreed to purchase Northern Homelands Company, the holding company of Maxum Specialty Insurance Group, in a deal which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016.

According to the recent press release, Maxum will maintain its brand and limited wholesale distribution model and will be managed as a separate unit within The Hartford’s Small Commercial Division. Further, Maxum’s headquarters will remain in Alpharetta, Georgia, and Maxum will retain its company name, talent and technology platform intact.

MHI remains committed to providing sound, financially stable markets for our retail agents and their clients. We do not expect this change to negatively impact Maxum’s stability as a surplus lines market. Please feel free to contact your MHI underwriter or marketing representative if you have any questions regarding this matter.

Press Release URL: http://ir.thehartford.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=108754&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2149051

To help expedite your claims, please click HERE to REPORT A CLAIM.

Announcing MHI’s new workers compensation team:

Nicole Martinez, nicole@mhi-mga.com – San Antonio Branch

Sylvia Gonzalez, sylvia@mhi-mga.com – San Antonio Branch

Dawn Mejorado, dawn@mhi-mga.com – Dallas Branch

Julie Bach, julieb@mhi-mga.com – Houston Branch

Renee Brown, renee@mhi-mga.com – Houston Branch

Jamie Carpenter, jamie@mhi-mga.com – Atlanta Branch

We look forward to working with all of our agents and helping them place their WC business. Our top WC markets are First Comp, AmTrust, Travelers, Hallmark and AIG.

Check out MHI’s new marketing video and meet the team. Don't forget to look for the bloopers on Facebook, a guaranteed treat! Watch!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Vacant Buildings and Commercial Property Insurance Policies- Concerns and Consequences. Click here to learn more!

“Why is everything so slow!?” Internet Speed – bandwidth vs. latency. You might not need to buy “Faster” internet. Everyone has been in a situation where it suddenly seems that your internet connection has come to a halt while surfing the web, downloading music, or more frequently watching a video. Having a great movie pause in the middle to buffer is no fun. It is natural to assume that you need “FASTER INTERNET”, after all that is what all of the marketing leads you to believe. Read more ...

Tired of chasing after your artisan contractor insureds for a signed TRIA form?

Check out MHI’s new eSign feature on our Artisan Contractor E-Quote module. This exciting new feature allows you to request and obtain -- via e-mail -- an electronic signature on the Terrorism Form (TRIA). The eSign option will pop up when the TRIA form link is clicked. You can customize the message the insured will see or use the standard verbiage that is already provided. You can even copy, paste and send the link from within your own e-mail. Either way, the insured will see only your contact information and once he completes the electronic signature, notification is automatically sent to both you and MHI so you’ll no longer have to worry about forwarding the signed form when you receive it. eSign is incredibly simple-just a couple of clicks and you’re done! Imagine…no more time wasted chasing down the signed TRIA form plus no more cancellation notices for failure to obtain the signed form. You still have the option to decline the eSign feature and print a hard copy of the TRIA form, but eSign is so easy…why not give it a try with your next artisan contractor binder request? Contact your MHI underwriter for more information or just click here for step by step instructions.

McClelland and Hine wants to help reduce your overhead! Did you know that as a Web Viewer agent, you can obtain your MHI policies and endorsements online?

Remember mail handling in the “good ol’ days”? It consisted of paying someone to drive to the post office, pick up the mail, drive back from the post office, open the mail, stamp it, sort it, scan it, route it, deliver it, etc., etc…

What if instead, you:

1) received an e-mail notification that your insured’s policy or endorsement is ready;
2) clicked on a link in that e-mail; then a couple of clicks and a few moments later you were viewing those documents on your computer screen with options to download, print, save, or e-mail the pdf file at your convenience and discretion.

MHI can also offer e-mail notification in batches. Policy and endorsement retrieval e-mails are queued throughout the day and then transmitted to your office in bulk at night. This can help reduce e-mail traffic during the busiest times of your work-day. Contact your MHI branch manager or marketing representative for more information or to sign up for this free service.

DID YOU KNOW...that you have a direct toll-free connection to your favorite underwriter? Just dial 1-866-203-3099 and enter the underwriter's extension. Don't know the extension number? Click here to access our contact page and select the appropriate branch or specialty division to see a current list of personnel, complete with extension numbers and e-mail addresses.

Access Agency, Policy and Finance Information On-Line 24/7
Check Out MHI's ExtraNet!
No Voice Mail, No Fax, No Delay!
Renewal list option provides a listing of all your in-force business!

If your agency has access to the agency accounting section, you have the ability to view and/or print the following information:

• Agency Statements
• Policy Invoice - (search capabilities by policy number or effective date)
• Overdue Policy Report
• Policy Renewal List