Allers Morrison Hunts The Best Business In Growth Strategy

Walk into Brock Mckinnon’s office in Downers Grove, Illinois, and you’ll find every wall painted in dry-erase paint. Those walls provide the canvas on which the business plan of the Allers Morrison Insurance Agency is continually being painted.

“If you don’t have a plan, you are just letting things happen to you, so we are constantly tweaking our business plan,” says Brock, agency co-owner. “And if something isn’t working, we go through and figure out what we are doing wrong and take a different course. That’s what separates us and our growth from other agencies.”

Another thing that separates the agency from others is that Allers Morrison doesn’t seek—and, in fact, rarely accepts—referral business.

Brock explains, “Why would someone call me and seek out insurance, where if they drive down the road all they see is advertisements for insurance? Or where their inbox is filled with emails trying to sell insurance? If someone is such a bad risk that they don’t have agents looking for them, why on earth would we want that business?” 

Instead, the agency’s strategy relies on active marketing, pre-underwriting accounts to seek quality business, and matching those accounts with carriers that are the best fit.

“We hunt for business. We seek out who we want to insure. And we know if they talk to us we have a good chance of getting their business,” Brock says. “The reason we bind such a high percentage of our quotes with Acuity is that we know what they want.”

Undeniably, the agency’s strategy is a success: over the last two years, the agency has grown its revenue more than 150%. 

Making Changes

The agency dates back to the 1960s. Current President and co-owner John Morrison purchased the firm in the late 1980s. Brock joined the firm in 2010 as part of a perpetuation plan, which will culminate in January 2022 when he acquires full agency ownership from John.

Allers Morrison’s business strategy resulted from a shift the agency made about six years ago. 

“Before then, we were insuring everything. Yes, we were growing, but we realized we couldn’t keep growing with bad accounts. We asked $1 million in business to find a new agency and focused on becoming a preferred agency where we hunt the best risk.”

Within its mix of business, the agency specializes in commercial property and trucking business.

“One day as I drove my child to school, I saw truck after truck after truck on the road. I evaluated my book of business and found that our top clients were truckers. I also realized we weren’t focusing on them enough. So we became a trucking expert, and we target accounts that fit our top trucking markets, including Acuity.” 

The agency has tremendous account retention, which is a credit to its targeted marketing strategy along with an unwavering commitment to client service.

“The magic happens with our service on the back end,” Brock says. “We have a great service and support staff, including Sandy Kolaczkowski, Sharon Gruszka, Michelle Perez, Melissa McElroy, and Tiffany Milles They truly care.”

Working Harder

The agency is poised to continue its rapid growth, which Brock says benefits everyone who has a stake in the agency.

“The more we grow, the more opportunity our people have to grow. The more they are empowered to make a great living, to provide for their families, and have a rewarding career. The more we, and they, can help other people,” Brock says.

“Work is my personality,” he adds. “I don’t golf. I don’t spend time glad-handing. I come to work, and I grind every day. I can’t ask my producers to grind if I don’t grind. Really, I’m not more talented than other agents. I’m not smarter than other agents. I just work harder.”