Cook, Hall & Hyde named to Business Insurance's Top 100 Largest Brokers

Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc., a leading regional provider of commercial and personal insurance, employee benefits, and risk management services, has once again earned national recognition within the insurance industry. This time, the company, has placed on Business Insurance magazine's list of the "100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business." The agency placed 99th against a field of over 40,000 agents and brokers. The list includes multi-national, publicly-traded, privately-held and bank-owned agencies. It's not the first time Cook, Hall & Hyde made the list. The company placed 97th on the list published in 2006 based on its 2005 revenues. For Cook, Hall & Hyde president and CEO Leonard Scioscia, CPCU, CIC, "While we have achieved steady growth for over four decades, this year's achievement is especially gratifying given the current economic climate and the ongoing challenges for all businesses. I credit a business model that emphasizes client relationships and not transactions, along with our strong sales culture of team selling across all business lines and, an outstanding team of highly motivated, knowledgeable professionals." In 2008, Cook, Hall & Hyde's corporate culture also earned the company a place among "The 10 Most Dependable Insurance Brokers of the East," awarded by Goldline Research (Novato, GA). Cook, Hall & Hyde received this recognition based on a proprietary scoring system evaluating key criteria such as years of industry experience, accreditations, business philosophy, client losses and customer satisfaction, and diverse offerings. The company competed against 7,422 agencies. Further setting Cook, Hall & Hyde apart is its client-centered, value-added offerings. For example, the company's Risk Watch program helps clients decrease their dependency on insurance by focusing on transference of risk to alternative means of risk management. Clients undergo a rigorous risk management audit which identifies measures and prioritizes their exposures with the goal of improving their risk profile before negotiating placement of insurance. "Every client has strengths in addition to potential exposures," said Scioscia. "Through our risk watch process, we help leverage their strengths and mitigate exposures with the right balance of insurance and risk management strategies. This approach, our application of advanced technologies and Best Practices, and our solid carrier relationships, are all contributing factors to our sales growth." Founded in 1894, Cook, Hall & Hyde employs over 100 people that operate out of three offices located in Melville and East Hampton, New York, and Fair Lawn, New Jersey. The agency enjoys relationships with nearly 13,000 clients who rely on the company for a wide range of commercial insurance products, personal insurance products, employee benefits and risk management services. Cook, Hall & Hyde maintains excellent relationships with major carriers in diverse insurance markets. This privately-held ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program) company is approximatey 30% employee-owned. Employees' continuing education and pursuit of professional designations (i.e., Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Risk Architect) are encouraged. Cook, Hall & Hyde's low employee turnover, high levels of longevity and consistency in both ownership and management have enabled the agency to consistently provide outstanding customer service and sustain growth. For more information, visit: www.chhins.com