SILVER Best Agency to Work For 2016 – South Central Eagan Insurance Agency
Metairie, Louisiana
Eagan Insurance Agency
Sure, Metairie, La.-based Eagan Insurance is under the leadership of a third-generation owner with a fourth generation preparing to eventually take over. And agency does have past glories. It has been the recipient of numerous awards, having been named one of New Orleans CityBusiness’ “Best Places to Work” for eight consecutive years; a Top 40 Workplace by the Times-Picayune/nola.com; a “Best Practices Agency,” and a Top 100 P&C Agency and Top 50 Personal Lines Leader in the U.S. by Insurance Journal. And the list goes on.
Eagan Insurance and its employees are proud of the firm’s reputation as “the oldest and most respected independent insurance agency in the (New Orleans) metropolitan area,” as one employee commented in IJ’s Best Agency survey.
But according to President Marc Eagan, one thing that separates the agency from its competitors is what he calls the agency’s “youth movement.”
Eagan said the agency has a “Young Producer Mentorship Program, which has brought in a new generation of young men and women with an appetite for success, armed with the necessary tools to know, sell and service complex commercial and personal lines customers. Working with seasoned veterans and hands-on training gives the younger producers the knowledge and confidence to succeed.”
Four of Eagan’s adult children are involved in the agency in various capacities, as are other younger members of the Eagan clan, which “is large and has been a vital part of the area for well over 100 years, beginning with the establishment of the Leitz-Eagan Funeral Parlor in 1854,” Marc Eagan said.
Said one respondent to IJ’s survey: “Despite the constantly changing marketplace, underwriting guidelines, mergers and so forth, Eagan has been able to adapt its workforce to this fast paced environment. Eagan is committed to providing cutting edge technology providing efficiency to allow their employees a better workflow.”
Another respondent said: “It is a pleasure to work for such a business, whose community activities and reputation are well-known for professionalism, ethics and excellence. We contribute extensively to many philanthropies and organizations, our staff is populated with many ‘over achievers’ and … Eagan Insurance is a household word to most people in the area.”
The agency is a “‘community partner’ with the New Orleans Regional Planning Authority. Our large and prominent electronic billboard is often used to alert motorists of traffic problems or other emergencies. We believe in New Orleans and, although independent, can hold our own with the large national and international brokers in placement, pricing and reputation with our many companies,” said one employee.
One of the most popular employee perks, apparently, is the opportunity to take every other Friday off. One respondent summed it up: “Who doesn’t love flex Fridays? That’s one of the incredible benefits that we are able to enjoy here, which can sometimes become a 4-day weekend!”
Another commented: “Other than having every other Friday off, I look forward to every day at work. … You know you are at the right place when everyone is always smiling and happy to be at work.”
One employee said described working at Eagan Insurance as “the perfect job,” adding: “I have MS and I never know what each day will bring with my health. MS is unpredictable. What is predictable is how I can work. … I can choose to go into the office or work from home. I have great assistants who are assigned to me and I have confidence in their work. … I am in control of my success.”