Sheppard Insurance 40th Anniversary
Sheppard Insurance grew from the start, necessitating four moves over the four decades they have been in business. Under Grant’s leadership, Sheppard continued to expand.
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He explains, “In 2009, we did our first major acquisition by buying Way Insurance. Then, in 2018, we bought Alberta First Insurance, which gave us a much larger presence in professional liability for the pharmacy sector. This is when we began specializing in allied medical products.” It’s not their only speciality. In addition to the traditional lines of personal and life insurance, Sheppard has provided aviation insurance for 25 years; and, under the commercial banner, has products for long haul truckers, bonding, mariners, pollution liability, special events (like festivals), small businesses, nonprofits, and more. Recently, Sheppard Insurance had an incredible opportunity to align with a brand whose vision and mission were an ideal match with the family business. “Under the vision of Doug Morrow, four local brokers and I created the Excel Insurance Group,” says Grant. It was our effort to make the Grant Sheppard independent brokerage channel more sustainable. Excel provides the back-end administration and has services to support independent brokers. This model also gave us access to the Assurex Global network for international contracts.” The Excel Group started with five offices and quickly grew to 15 – and the growth continues. “This year, we also went through a sale and merger with Storm Insurance while staying within the Excel Group. Now we have a local, national, and international presence. If we can’t place your business, nobody can!” While Grant is pleased to see the firm work with clients on an international basis, there is one thing he will never change; it’s the core reason his parents started Sheppard Insurance and why the brand has been so incredibly successful: customer care.
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“Our clients are second to none,” Grant says firmly. “It’s because of our clients that I enjoy the business. I feel like my role is to be an intermediary between a client and an insurer, and to ensure the underwriters do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. This is why we have very long-term, loyal clients. We have clients that go back to my dad’s career before he even started the company. That is the secret to our success – great clients that are loyal, appreciate our services, and realize we bring value to the process.”