ABD Insurance & Financial Services: bringing relief to area employers.

Unprecedented economic factors are putting the squeeze on area employers--and employees. Global uncertainty, poor equity performance, legal issues and tightening insurance markets keep raising the stakes.

Jim Hall, president of ABD's Employee Benefit Services division, adds overworked HR and risk management professionals to the list of hard realities facing U.S. businesses. He says, "Companies are doing more with less, and it's not working. The old approaches don't meet the demands of today's complexities, issues and economics."

There is no one "right" answer to this dilemma. Yet the seasoned members of ABD's Southern California team help employers find solutions that fit. ABD's innovative approaches beat even the toughest challenges.

"And our solutions work," says Jim Czesak, ABD Executive Vice President. "We find ways to flat-line, if not save, costs in our clients' employee benefits programs. We develop combinations of traditional and new approaches to address the enormous changes in property and casualty insurance. All with a minimum amount of pain. And we stay involved, providing whatever assistance and support is needed to make sure these solutions take root."

Solutions that Fit

"It's like having a new level of expertise in my HR department," says Alex LaBrie, Vice President, Human Resources at Entravision.

When LaBrie was looking for a broker to take Entravision, a fast-growing media enterprise, to the next level, his requirements were simple. They included service excellence, solid insurance expertise and good relationships with carriers. More importantly, he wanted trust, honesty and loyalty.

With ABD involved in all aspects of the company's risk management and health care benefits, Alex says, "I have made the right choice. ABD delivers on all fronts."

It's All About People

What is the key ingredient to inspiring client loyalty? Several factors come to mind with ABD. Their clients talk about professionalism, straight-talk, a huge knowledge base, solid resources and "out-of-the-box" thinking. They even describe ABD employees as "hard working" and "fun" to have on their teams.

An amazing 96% of ABD's clients have retained the company's services for five years or more. And ABD is viewed as an "employer of choice"--meaning it has the pick of the best and brightest in the industry.

Behind each client relationship is continuity of service that's unprecedented in the industry. Nearly 20% of the people in ABD's Southern California operations have accrued over 15 years of service, and 60% have more than five years.

What this means in day-to-day terms is working with people who know each business intimately. The ABD team brings a breadth of employee benefit and risk management expertise to the relationship--and they know what will work, and work well, in different environments.

With clients ranging from hi-tech to retail and from manufacturing to construction, ABD knows that each organization grapples with different economic, risk management and human resources challenges. In the Southern California market, ABD not only has bi-lingual specialists, it is a nationally recognized leader in addressing multi-site, multi-state insurance needs.

Trust, Communications, Service, and Expertise

ABD teams stay involved, anticipating needs and exploring practical solutions in a proactive way. Now, more than ever, employers are looking for this kind of support to provide relief.

From strategic planning to program administration and balance sheet protection, ABD's breadth of core competencies account for their diverse and rapidly-growing client base. More than 350 mid- to large-size employers are served by the Southern California office alone.

"ABD has demonstrated a true partnership with us in their responsiveness, anticipation of our needs and providing a full gamut of services," says Linda Yezek, Agents' Benefits Manager for Farmers Insurance. "We have very high standards for accuracy and service. ABD recognizes this and has coordinated, insisted upon and enforced these standards with all of our carriers.

We thoroughly enjoy our working relationship with the ABD team. The qualities they exhibit individually, and as a group, provide true value added to our program."

Marketing Clout

ABD, the largest broker headquartered in the Western U.S., has developed solid relationships with all of the world's leading insurance companies.

"What this means in today's terms," says Jim Hall, "is gaining influence and flexibility for our clients, and having carriers who can be convinced to try something new, rather than just deliver another rate increase."

ABD uses their strength to meet the specific needs of each client--and develop special programs for niche markets. The company's proprietary Municipal Benefits Pool, for example, has grown over the last seven years to include more than 100 cities, providing participants with a range of benefit options that would be impossible for each municipality to mount on its own.

New Tools of the Trade

ABD is also at the leading technical edge of the industry. The company has embraced the power of the Internet, as a business-to-business tool and as an efficiency enhancement for end-users.

The company's proprietary Cybersure website provides ABD clients with information on a wide range of insurance-related topics, as well as tools, forms, reports, background data and industry surveys and benchmarks.

More than just bells and whistles, CyberSure tools can reduce the administrative time spent on day-to-day insurance-related tasks by as much as 40%--an efficiency factor that's vital in today's business environment.

In fact, ABD is so committed to CyberSure, it provides the website link exclusively to all of its clients at no charge.

ABD Excellence

ABD's steady growth, success and respect in the industry can be attributed, first and foremost, to its people--and the close knit relationships they have developed with clients.

These partnerships focus on: helping clients save money, keeping plans in compliance, retaining employees, protecting balance sheets and leveraging technology to simplify administrative tasks.

In today's "perfect storm," with a convergence of factors presenting really tough challenges, organizations are looking beyond the usual services and are turning more and more to companies they can trust.

ABD--Overview / Services

ABD is a full-service, multi-line broker specializing in employee benefits, risk management, and retirement plans. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, ABD ranks in the top 15 U.S. brokerage firms. ABD's 500 consultants and specialists, serving more than 2,000 clients nationwide, generate annual revenues of $125 million on more than $1 billion in premiums. ABD is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Greater Bay Bancorp.

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For more information contact Dennis Rainey or Sam Elliott at [phone].