It's been a great year for Statesboro's BBWH Insurors already. They relocated into their newly constructed 6,500-square-foot office at 1208 Merchant Way in the Market District. The beautiful, spacious new office offers the agency better visibility, easier access for their clients and gives them room to grow BBWH was also named a "Best Practices Agency."
        BBWH's history of serving our community dates back to 1888 when C.A Sorrier began the agency. Tom Ansley combined his agency, Statesboro Insurance, with C.A. Sorrier to create Blount, Ansley and Sorrier. In 1989, Bryan Burke, Leonard Blount and Kay Wimberly purchased the combined agency from Ansley. The full service insurance agency is currently owned by Bryan Burke, who serves as president of the firm, Ashley Hines, Brad Powell and Jim Grindler.
        In addition to the Statesboro location, they also maintain an office in Dublin. Combined, the agency employees nearly 30. Two of Bryan's children, his son Taylor and his daughter Haley, have entered the business continuing the legacy of serving our community.
        Last week, Bryan traveled to Austin, Texas to receive the "Best Practice Agency" award. BBWH is one of 14 agencies in Georgia and one of only 254 nationally to receive this distinction. BBWH Insurers is part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big "I") "Best Practices" Study Group.
        Each year since 1993, IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, join forces to study the country's leading agencies in six revenue categories. The agencies comprising the study groups are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a "Best Practices Agency" designation. The selected "Best Practices" agencies retain their status during the three-year cycle by submitting extensive financial and operational data for review each year.
        "Our agency has been so blessed over the years to have such a loyal client following. Our owners, agents, and entire staff are thrilled to be recognized as a Best Practices Agency for the fifth time in our agency's history," Burke said.
        More than 1,800 independent agencies throughout the U.S. were nominated to take part in the annual study, but only 254 agencies qualified for the honor. To be chosen, the agency had to be among the top-performing agencies in one of six revenue categories.
        The agency was nominated by either an IIABA affiliated state association or an insurance company and qualified based on its operational excellence.
        The Best Practices Study was initiated by IIABA in 1993 as the foundation for efforts to improve agency performance. The annual survey and study of leading independent insurance agencies documents the business practices of the highest performing agencies and urges others to adopt similar practices.
        "I have seen many changes since entering the insurance business over three decades ago, Burke said. "Technology, the internet and other tools have streamlined the shopping experience for customers today. What will never change is the ability to build relationships with our clients and understand their unique needs. That is what has separated our agencies over the years and what will continue to allow us to be a market leader. Ensuring we are doing this as efficiently and as effectively as possible is just one more way we can add value to our client relationship."