It is June; and impossible to believe that nearly half of 2014 is gone. You might remember me, I am Gary Wood; I was the COO of the MTMIC and the Administrator of the MTA Workers’ Compensation Fund from 1998 to 2013. Last year I made the decision to step back when I recognized two things; 66 is more than a number and after 15 years there needed to be a new stimulus for growth.

Since the company had shown unprecedented growth from 2012 through 2013, the new President has added the underwriting staff (me) as a part time position which enables him to concentrate on operating the company while having me assist with “line underwriting” on a daily basis. Thanks to a computer system we installed over the last couple of years I do it from my “home office” in Scottsdale, Arizona. This unique system allows me to see everything that the on-site staff sees about an account while daily telephone conversations resolve any outlying questions.

As I commented earlier, time is flying by. There are a handful of July renewals waiting to be completed, August underwriting is done and I have begun my pre-quoting ritual for September. The process is ongoing; one might say never ending, but essential.

A testament to our efforts is our retention rate; over the last several months we have renewed all but a few policyholders and successfully added new business in an ever changing market. I remain grateful for your continued support of MTMIC and fully believe you are getting the best possible coverage and programs available to control your workers’ compensation cost in Michigan.

Typically at this point in the past, I would wax on about other important issues like state regulations, the annual meeting and Board elections but those are some of the responsibilities that have been fortunately passed on to the new President, John Karlen. That is another way of saying I get to do the ‘fun’ stuff which I enjoy and he gets to do the things that are required to keep things running – a favorable arrangement for all.

If you are ever planning on visiting Arizona, drop me an email and maybe we can meet for lunch. I would say dinner but we retirees have dinner before 4:00 PM to catch the early bird specials. Stay warm and dry in Michigan, that doesn’t seem to be a problem here.