Insurance Journal Founder, Publisher Enter Insurance Hall of Fame

The Insurance Media Association named Insurance Journal‘s Founder Mark Wells Sr., and Publisher Mark Wells Jr. as the 2009 inductees into the Insurance Media Hall-Of-Fame.

Insurance Journal, considered the most-read national property/casualty publication for independent insurance agents and brokers, kicked off its legacy in 1923. While the exact date of the magazine’s first issue remains a mystery, what Insurance Journal has become is no secret.

In 1936, during the Great Depression, Mark A. Wells Sr., then just 27 years old, purchased the magazine and immediately embarked on a top-to-bottom redesign. Following Mark A. Wells Sr.’s death in 1970, Mark Wells Jr. took over the magazine and remains its publisher today.

Under his direction, Insurance Journal has grown from a regional Southern California magazine with 4,000 readers to one of the most well-respected insurance trade publications in the country, with a bi-weekly circulation of more than 40,000 and readers in every state.

InsuranceJournal.com was created in 1997 to provide regional, national and international news and information to the insurance industry. Re-launched in April 2000, Insurance Journal‘s news Web site generates more than 264,000 unique visitors and 1.5 million page views per month.

InsuranceJournal.com uses its 80 years of insurance expertise to provide the industry real-time news and analysis. In addition, the site includes a number of tools for insurance agents and brokers around the world, including informational directories listing available industry markets for excess and surplus lines, insurance programs and workers’ compensation.

The Web site also features classified advertising, a news archive with more than 90,000 articles, and hundreds of audio and video interviews with industry leaders on its InsuranceJournal.tv Web site. The numbers speak for themselves – more than 250,000 insurance professionals read Insurance Journal online every month.

And in late 2009, Wells led the development of an iPhone application, enabling readers to quickly view InsuranceJournal.com’s news and multimedia content via their iPhone, free of charge.

In 2007, Wells again expanded Insurance Journal‘s portfolio of products for agents and brokers by launching MyNewMarkets.com, an online resource of coverages and products. This sophisticated database holds more than 25,000 market listings. MyNewMarkets.com also provides a community forum where agents post requests and comments for and about markets, and informational articles written by leading industry professionals.

In 2010, agents and brokers will again benefit from another expansion with the launch of Insurance Journal‘s Academy of Insurance. The Academy provides online, interactive training and education delivered by some of the industry’s top professionals.

Mark Wells Jr. has been honored by numerous industry groups for his continued support and contributions to the insurance industry. Other prestigious recognitions bestowed to Wells include: Insurance Marketing Communications Association’s Golden Torch Award (2004); National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices’ Dana Roehrig Award (2005); and the City of Hope’s William Story Memorial Award (2009).

The Insurance Media Association established the Hall of Fame to recognize the lifetime achievements of insurance media professionals who have made significant contributions to the media niche of the insurance industry. For more information visit:www.insurancemedia.net.