How an Acuity Industry Consultant Can Help Your Business

As part of our commitment to customers, did you know that Acuity Insurance has industry consultants who know your business because they have been in your shoes? We aren’t just here to help protect your business and keep it safe, we also want to ensure it thrives and grows for years to come. And that is where our industry consultants come in!

What is an Acuity industry consultant?

These are Acuity employees whose core responsibility is to help our customers grow, learn, and feel the true partnership that we offer. These individuals have worked in your industry, understand your business, and want to work with you to help keep your business growing. They go beyond what would occur at a loss control visit and don’t just focus on the risk management aspect of our partnership. They each have an area of expertise and can give an outside perspective on issues you may be experiencing.

Who are the Acuity industry consultants?

We currently have four industry consultants. Aaron Stamm, our retail consultant, brings over 30 years of retail experience to your business. Cliff Johnson, our trucking consultant, was an owner-operator for 30 years before joining Acuity. John Lack, our construction and contracting consultant, ran his own contracting business for 30 years, building retail stores around the Midwest. Mike Schlagenhaufer, our manufacturing consultant, is a lean manufacturing expert with over 30 years of manufacturing management experience. 

How can an industry consultant help my business?

Each consultant brings different areas of knowledge to their respective industry. 

Aaron Stamm, Retail

• Safety—FDA regulations, safety training, food spoilage, and more
• Sales drivers—Multi-customer service training, merchandise display, staffing solutions, and more
• Physical security—Camera and surveillance equipment, EAS/RFID resources, robbery prevention, and more
• Store operations—Stock level management, inventory procedures, equipment rental programs, and more
• Loss prevention—Employee and customer theft investigation, dot-com fraud solutions, customer property damage and liability, and more

Cliff Johnson, Trucking

• FMCSA regulatory compliance—Unsafe driving, hours of service, controlled substances/alcohol, and more
• Risk management—Policies and procedures, training and communications, qualification and hiring, and more
• Operations management—Driver training, DOT audits, motor carrier best practices, and more

John Lack, Construction & Contracting

• Contractors risk management—Obtaining legal counsel, contracts, safety and quality, and more
• Hands-on skills—Carpentry, layout, site elevations, and more
• On-site/superintending—Safety implementation, securing sites, problem solving, and more
• Office/project management—Plans and specifications, bid process, negotiating contracts, and more

Mike Schlagenhaufer, Manufacturing

• Lean manufacturing—5S, value-stream mapping, Kanban, and more
• Material resource planning—Supply chain management, inventory cost reduction, just-in-time manufacturing, and more
• Quality management systems—ISO 9001 implementation, quality control plans, statistical process control, and more
• Engineering—Design for manufacturability, product life cycles, failure modes, and more
• Process knowledge—High-speed machining, nano/micro technology, additive manufacturing, and more
• Manufacturing management—Preventative and predictive maintenance, employee development, apprenticeship programs, and more

What is an example of an Acuity industry consultant working with a business?

Our consultants work with many businesses throughout the year and often create multi-year partnerships to help support our customers' goals for years to come. While there are many different examples of each consultant working with our customers, here are a few:

• Improved a manufacturing customer's cycle-time, reducing the original time of 52 minutes down to 21 minutes.
• Trained a retail operation on safety best practices and leadership.
• Conducted a business review on a manufacturer and identified process improvements using lean technology.

How much does it cost to have an industry consultant visit my business?

This is a free service we provide to Acuity commercial lines customers. Our consultants can meet with you over a call to determine how best to support your business, and we create a plan from there. If you are interested in talking to a consultant, reach out to your independent insurance agent who will work with your Acuity team to arrange the call.

To learn more about each industry consultant, check out their bio pages: 

Aaron Stamm, Retail

Cliff Johnson, Trucking

John Lack, Contracting

Mike Schlagenhaufer, Manufacturing

Also, check out their thought leadership and business management blogs at The Focus and their educational videos on the Acuity Insurance YouTube channel.