Declarations – South Central

Like a Bomb

“It wasn’t like a freight train like everybody says it is. … It sounded like a bomb hit. And we hit the floor, and everybody was praying. It was shocking.”

—Physical therapist Patti Gilroy describes the tornado that hit the Green Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Arlington, Texas, on April 3. Gilroy said she saw the swirling mass barreling down through the back door, after she herded patients into the hallway in the order trained: walkers, wheelchairs, then beds.

Need to Know

“The best agents and brokers are doing the same thing. …They’re saying what I need to invest in is areas of expertise. I’ve got to know things like not-for-profits or healthcare or whatever it is.”

—Frederick Eppinger, CEO of Worcester, Mass.-based Hanover Insurance Group. In an interview with Insurance Journal, Eppinger commented that agents in all parts of the country are concluding that “just being generic” is not the way to be successful; rather they are saying “to really be the most successful my folks, my producers, have to know things.”

Getting Stronger

“It looks to me like it’s a continuation of slowly coming out of the recession. … Things are slowly getting stronger overall. We’re still cautious about it. We’re not ready to declare victory at this point by any means.”

—Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Department Director Richard Weiss says Arkansas’ revenues in March were ahead of last year and beat official projections, as the state saw increases in nearly all major tax collections. Net available revenues totaled $356.3 million in March 2012, $40.5 million above March 2011 and $42.4 million above forecast.