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May 2007 Business of the Month | |||||||||||||
Janice Britz began her career with Shelter Insurance® in May, 1997. When she assumed responsibility over this existing business, hers became the only female-owned insurance agency in Harrisonville. “I had worked as a legal secretary/office manager for a local attorney for 10 years when I was approached to apply for the agency. This experience helped me prepare for the operation of running a business. I enjoy finding solutions for people and this fit well for me,” Britz said. Originally located in Gaslight Shopping Center, Britz purchased the building at 803 S. commercial, her current location, in November 2005. Together with fellow agent Stephanie Armstrong, the business provides five major types of insurance protection: home, life, car, farm and business. “We place health, disability, workers compensation and flood insurance through Daniel Boone Agency, LLC, an insurance brokerage firm of Shelter Insurance Companies. Our office also provides notary public services.” Britz said. Shelter Insurance is now lowering rates for automobile insurance. Shelter's strong financial position allows for the rate reduction while retaining the premium reserves necessary to pay current claims and generate surplus dollars to future claims from major storms or other disasters. Britz finds her greatest business challenge in striving to “fully understand our customers so we can properly protect their assets. We ask lots of questions in the initial contact to provide for their needs. We contact every customer to ask for an annual review to see if their situation has changed. When a customer contacts us to make a change, we try to determine if there are other changes to be made. Communication is the key.” “We know that people buy from people they know and trust and we work hard to earn the right to get in front of people. We realize that people are busy, and we try to make it as convenient as possible for our customers. But the real service comes during the time of a claim, and we strive to make the process easy,” Britz said. The Pleasant Hill native has lived in Harrisonville area for 25 years. She and husband Tom have three children. Daughter Jamie is a Harrisonville teacher. Son Jared is a Captain in the Army and served two tours in Iraq. Travis is in 7th grade at Harrisonville Middle School. Stephanie and husband Glen have been married for 10 years. Their sons Braden and Jayce attend Cass Midway Schools. Britz finds the most enjoyable part of being a part of this chamber is getting to know our chamber members and sharing common experiences. “My experience on the board and serving as Chamber president was the most beneficial element in getting to know this community,” she said.
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