SILVER Best Agency to Work For 2016 – Southeast LassiterWare
Leesburg, Florida
LassiterWare
“LassiterWare provides its employees with a family-oriented, friendly and fun environment,” wrote one employee nomination for Insurance Journal‘s Best Agency to Work For award. “LassiterWare cares for their employees just as if they were family members. Working here ensures that you are able to be working parents and lead successful careers, simultaneously and without worry.”
In addition to the family culture, employees of Insurance Journal‘s 2016 Southeast Silver winner also raved about “great benefits and bonuses,” and paid education and continuing education credits.
But the agencies biggest praise by employees was for the opportunities to contribute in the community through the community service foundation LassiterWares Cares.
“Our agency feels very strongly about ‘giving back to our communities.’ LassiterWare Cares is ready to help…we can donate our time and money to various charities, and we can choose what/who we’d like to help,” said one employee.
Doug Childers, Jr., president and CEO, said being nominated for the award by employees is very special and a testament to the leadership team’s commitment to making LassiterWare a “fantastic place for our employees to work.”
Childers said the award is also extra special as the company transitioned two years ago to his leadership from longtime leader and now Chairman of the Board Ted Ostrander.
“Making LassiterWare a great place to work was always a hallmark of Ted’s leadership and I am very pleased our employees continue to feel that way,” Childers said.
He said the family culture is important to the company.
“LassiterWare is a great place to work because we understand that our employees spend more time with the people at [the company] than even their own family and we are very intentional in making our culture a family culture,” he said.
Childers started in insurance with his father’s agency, which was eventually bought by a large broker. Childers said though he found success with that company, he wanted to implement his own ideas.
The reputation of LassiterWare brought Childers there in 2005. The agency started in 1912 and offers commercial and personal lines. Ostrander joined the agency in 1973 was president from 1987 until 2013.
“Leading this organization is my passion in life and coaching these great people and having the opportunity to learn from them is something I look forward to every single day,” Childers said.
That passion is felt by employees, many of whom said they couldn’t imagine working any place else. One respondent said average tenure at the company spans well over 13 years.
“The management allows people to speak freely and consult with employees when needed. They help make the organization a true team,” said one respondent.
“The leadership team is open to new ideas that are presented and the organization is constantly working towards making its employees feel good about themselves and their work,” wrote another.
At the end of the day, employee’s said the company’s tight-knit culture helps them fulfill their commitment to those they are there to serve – their clients.
“LassiterWare has a definite advantage over all of the other agencies in the industry with the staff and resources that are right at our fingertips. This part alone results in a greater chance of success as a producer to win an account, but it also gives us and our clients great confidence and support. LassiterWare has a way of bringing a six-location, 100-employee organization together…,” wrote one employee. “We see each other often, we collaborate on a regular basis and we have plenty of opportunities to not only work closely together but also have fun together.”