Morrow Insurance Agency was presented with he First Citizens Bank Customer Service Award at the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Ceremony on Friday, February 1, 2013.

“We recognize service excellence is critical to the success of a company, and we want to share with a local business that share with our belief,” said Greg Burnette, area vice president for First Citizens Bank.

To celebrate the importance of exceptional customer service to every business, First Citizens established an award for small to mid-sized businesses that shares their commitment to service.

The First Citizens Bank Customer Service Award is given to companies that go above and beyond their customers’ expectations.

The award is promoted through local chambers of commerce. Nominations come directly from customers or the businesses themselves and are judged by a panel from the chamber of commerce.

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce has announced members in new leadership positions for 2013.  Among the community leaders recognized, Jim Rasmussen, executive vice president with Morrow Insurance, has stepped up to lead the effort to define and implement large scale plans to advance Henderson County commerce.

Jim is excited to be working with other chamber members on this initiative and looks forward to helping commerce grow within our area.

A full article from the Hendersonville Times News may be found at:  http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20121217/NEWS/121219810?Title=-Chamber-selects-leaders-to-move-county-forward-in-2013-

It is with great sorrow that Morrow Insurances announces the passing of personal lines agent Pam McMinn.  A member of the Morrow family since 2004, Pam departed this morning following a brief illness.  Arrangements are incomplete at this time.

Our thoughts and prayers are extended to children: Tara, Jonathan & Brad as well as the entire family.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to our Hendersonville office and will be forwarded to the family.

For account needs, please call us at 828-693-5396 and one of our other personal lines agents will assist you.

On July 17, 2012, Morrow Insurance hosted a seminar to help educate human resource managers, business owners and benefits administrators on the current status of the healthcare reform legislation and what they need to know to prepare for implementation in 2014.  Legal consultant David C. Smith presented this vital information to 62 attendees representing 48 companies.

For a summary, watch this feature from WLOS.

Morrow continues to receive rave reviews and thanks for holding the seminar.   Some of the comments received include:

Thanks so much to both of you for everything you do for (our organization), this is great news and greatly appreciated. ____ and I were discussing insurance and the meeting yesterday concerning changes with the health care reform, his comments were, “ that’s why we have responsible people working for us that know what they are doing.” Again, thank you!

I also want to convey to you and all the staff at Morrow Insurance, how much I appreciate your interest in our renewals and keeping me up to date on notices to be distributed etc. We also appreciate the quick response with any questions that come up from time to time.

I barely saw you (CSR) yesterday….you were so busy. It was a very informative talk! I came back from the seminar and told (our CFO) that we were doing everything right since we had Morrow Insurance Company to watch our backs!

The Seminar was indeed educational and helpful. We appreciate the ongoing education and communication efforts that you and Morrow Insurance provide your customers. Knowledge in this case is not power, as we have lost that option, but knowledge as to what is on the horizon regarding health care provides an awareness of upcoming “CHANGE”. Many thanks, once again, on behalf of (employer), (President)/COO) and me for that opportunity! The event was very well attended and appreciated by all, I’m certain.

We anticipate sponsoring a free webinar soon for those who were unable to attend and wish to learn more about how this piece of legislation will affect their business.  To be notified when the webinar is scheduled, please contact cemory@morrowinsurance.com.

Morrow Insurance continues to work with businesses to provide services beyond policies and claims.  Ask your Morrow Agent about the services we provide through our internal resources and our business partner network.

Morrow Insurance Agency, Inc. is proud to welcome Sharon Robbins to its Benefits Department. Sharon will be partnering with employers in developing relevant and sustainable employee benefits solutions and business owner/key executive compensation packages.

Sharon brings with her over twenty years of consulting and brokerage experience in the employee benefits industry. She comes to us after a 20 year career with Insurance Service of Asheville, Inc, where she held the position of Vice President – Life, Health & Employee Benefits and was an agency principal. With her experience in the roles of employer, employee, consumer and consultant, Ms. Robbins brings great depth of understanding related to all facets of employee benefits that will aid area employers in navigating the difficult and changing world of health care reform.

Sharon is an active member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), having held the position of President of the WNC chapter in 2010-2011, during which time the chapter received the 2011 Pacesetter Award for operational excellence and Ms. Robbins was recognized as “Member of the Year” at the state and local levels. She is also heavily involved in community, where she has been recognized as a “Woman of Influence” honoree by the YWCA of Asheville and a top fund-raiser for The American Red Cross and The American Cancer Society. Ms. Robbins is also a respected and sought after inspirational women’s speaker.

We are pleased to have Sharon on board. If you would like to contact her, you may call her at 828-694-5143 or email her at srobbins@morrowinsurance.com.

Sundays in July: Songcatchers Music Series
Sundays in July, 2012

3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Songcatchers Music Series, now in its ninth year, showcases acoustic music with roots in the Southern Appalachians and the musicians who nurture the tradition of passing this heritage on to others. Local musicians are on site at 3:00 p.m. to jam before the concert, which begins with a warm-up at 4:00 p.m. After a short break the featured performer will begin. Concerts take place in the wheelchair accessible, covered outdoor amphitheatre unless storms move them inside the Forest Discovery Center. Picnics are welcome.  Morrow Insurance Agency, Inc. is a presenting sponsor of this event.  Admission for this event is $6.00 for ages 16 and older, $3.00 for youth 15 and under and America the Beautiful pass holders.

Please join us this Friday night, June 15  for Music On Main sponsored by Morrow Insurance.  This week’s entertainment will be Wishful Thinkin’.  Bring a chair and sit back, relax and enjoy the music from 7:00-9:00 pm.

Put on your dancing shoes and head to Music On Main Street for some good toe tapping music.  Be sure to look for the Morrow gang!

According to surveys, nearly one in four Americans are operating some form of home-based business. These businesses range from relatively small, often part-time pursuits such as tax preparation, or small appliance repair, to larger, full-time enterprises such as construction companies and real estate offices. You may be one of the thousands seeking success in multi-level marketing, or possibly consulting. Maybe you’ve turned your hobby of furniture refinishing and restoration into a lucrative flea market business.

No matter what your business, if you operate it out of your home, or headquarter it in a home office and you haven’t considered the need for special insurance coverage, you better talk to your insurance agent in a hurry.

Your homeowners policy, while one of the broadest and most comprehensive insurance policies ever developed, was never designed to include sufficient coverage for business activities.

Some coverage may be included for a certain amount of your business property (computer, filing cabinet, desk, chair, modem), but is usually limited to a small amount at your house, and even less coverage if you take the property away from your house (a laptop computer, for example). If your home business includes selling, it is nearly universal that any items (inventory) you hold for sale will not be covered for any amount. Since these limitations can vary by insurance company and policy, check with your agent for specific details, as well as your options.

Regardless of how much coverage you may have for your business property, standard homeowners policies, with few exceptions, exclude all liability claims arising from your business. For example, one of your business clients comes by your house to sign a new contract for your consulting services. He trips and falls on your front steps and is severely injured. Although your policy’s liability coverage would normally provide you with legal defense and pay such a claim up to the policy limits, in this case the policy will deny any coverage since the injured person was only at your house for business.

This liability exposure represents far too large a risk of loss to leave to chance. What will be the point of all your hard work to develop your business, only to have it swept away in an expensive lawsuit or injury settlement?

Beyond the basic property and liability coverage, your home-based business may also need certain specialty insurance coverages that are also not included in your homeowner’s policy. Examples are professional liability, advertising or publication liability coverage for customers’ property left in your care (for repair or refinishing) and workers compensation coverage for injury to your employees.

Plus add health insurance and retirement plans, and the only practical solution is to talk with your insurance agent without delay. No matter how minor you may consider your business, or how little money it may currently be bringing in, it is better to review your business and future plans with your agent, so that any gaps in your coverage can be discussed and resolved.

If you’ve started a home-based business, you probably are attempting what many never have the courage to dare— pursuing your dream. While you are reaching for the stars, don’t risk having inadequate insurance steal your ladder. At Morrow Insurance Agency, we can assist you with all your insurance coverage needs, from personal, business, to health.

Morrow Insurance is proud to sponsor a team this year in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Henderson County.  At the event, our team will camp out overnight and take turns walking around the track to raise money and awareness to help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.  The event will be from 6pm May 18 to 6am May 19th at the WNC Agricultural Center.  If you would like to make a donation on behalf of the Morrow Racers team, please contact one of our team members:  Charlie Cranford, Amy Tayler, Carolyn Wilson, Christina Dinardo, Fay Ryan, Kathy Rhodes, Jean Persons, or Colleen Hobbick or click on our team page link to donate online.

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After one of the most active and deadly years in recent weather history, Gov. Bev Perdue cautions North Carolinians to be on the lookout for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms as spring approaches. Perdue declared March 4-10 Severe Weather Awareness Week in North Carolina and recommends that families have safety plans for home, work or school so they can respond quickly when tornados or severe storms threaten.

“Already this year, we have seen tornadoes sweep through several of our western counties,” Perdue said. “That type of weather is almost unheard of for January in North Carolina. And we all saw in 2011 just how quickly these storms can strike and how dangerous they can become. That is why it is so critical to have emergency plans in place.”

Perdue urged North Carolinians to take time now to discuss and rehearse family emergency plans so that when the National Weather Service issues a storm warning in their area, everyone can act quickly and take shelter calmly. Schools and government buildings statewide will hold tornado drills Wednesday, March 7, at 9:30 a.m. to rehearse their emergency plans.

Tornadoes usually form during heavy thunderstorms when warm, moist air collides with cold air. These storms can also produce large hail and strong winds. Damaging winds are equally as dangerous.

When severe weather is likely, people should listen to local radio, television, a weather channel or a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio for information. If a tornado watch is issued, the conditions are favorable and a tornado is possible. However, if a warning is issued, a tornado has actually been spotted or appeared on radar. This is the time when people should go to a safe shelter immediately.

North Carolina Emergency Management recommends the safest place during a tornado is underground in a basement. If there is no basement, people who are at home should go to the lowest floor of the house and to an interior room such as a hallway, pantry or closet. School children should go to inner hallways, but stay out of gymnasiums, auditoriums or cafeterias where there is a large roof span. Office workers should take shelter under something sturdy like a desk or a table to protect from flying debris or a collapsed roof. Everyone should stay away from windows.

Mobile home residents are especially vulnerable to damage from high winds and should go to a prearranged shelter when severe weather is predicted.

Every family’s emergency plan should include information on what to do if severe weather happens while traveling to work or school. Drivers who see a tornado forming or approaching should leave the car immediately and take shelter in a low-lying area. A tornado can easily blow a car off a road and many people have been killed while trying to outrun a tornado. Those who are on foot or a bicycle could encounter falling trees, downed power lines or lightning, and they should go to a safe place immediately. The basement of a sturdy building is best. Lying flat in a ditch or low area may also offer protection, but beware of possible flash flooding and flying debris.

Preparation for any type of severe weather also means having a family disaster plan and an emergency supply kit assembled and in a location that is easy to access during an emergency. More information on tornadoes and overall emergency preparedness is available at www.ReadyNC.org and www.ncem.org.