The past few months have seen tremendous upheaval in the insurance industry. The number of Carriers has decreased in both the brokerage and company communities. The recent hurricane activity has curtailed insured's from properly maintaining adequate insurance, and insurance fraud has become a major issue for the entire insurance industry.

Agents are concerned that in spite of commission reductions, quotas, contract cancellations, and refusal to write new business by some markets, they now may find themselves in competition with some of the traditional brokerage distribution companies that are setting up direct marketing facilities and branches. The banks now have announced they will open stand alone insurance offices to retail insurance.

In spite of the above, we believe that the independent agent will survive, and be able to thrive within this landscape. We are more automated than most insurance agencies. We are close to the customer, regardless of some insurance companies' attempts to sever the traditional agent-client relationship. Our clients, in most cases, still do not care or know which company we place them with. They trust our judgment in selecting the proper coverage and company to place them in.

We are fully automated and paperless. This has cut costs, improved efficiency and accuracy, and helped us meet the competition from banks and direct writers. Companies that truly value and trust the agent distribution system will align themselves with professional agents.

Gulf Coast Underwriters is dedicated to providing insurance products that provide quality protection with value pricing. We wish to establish a successful partnership with our clients, our staff members, and our insurance companies, that will respect the interests and goals of each party.