Many things have changed since we opened our doors in 1995. Mobile phones got smaller – and then bigger. The internet and social media connected us all. And, of course, some of our employees were born.
During those 30 years, one thing hasn’t changed: how much we value our agency partnerships at MEM, and how we work together to bring people home safe to their families.
These alliances are vital to making us your trusted work comp partner, covering more than 200,000 lives across the U.S.
And so, our 30th anniversary felt like the perfect time to celebrate some of the partnerships that helped lay our foundation and continue to drive us forward.
The beginning: Foundational agency partnerships
From the start, MEM sought to break through barriers to insurance coverage for all businesses. Among the first to join us were Winter-Dent & Company, MGI Risk Advisors, and Scott Agency.
- Winter-Dent & Company wasn’t just one of the first – they were the very first agency we appointed.
- MGI Risk Advisors, known then as Missouri General, also took a chance on MEM in 1995. Their client-first approach has helped them navigate the market’s challenges for nearly 45 years.
- Scott Agency, first established in 1935, has a long history of growth under a family-led vision. Matt Speight, President and CEO, represents the third generation of leadership for the agency.
It started with a mission to shrink the pool.
These three agencies were some of the first agencies embarked on a mission with us to provide work comp coverage to businesses that were being overlooked and underserved: the assigned risk pool.
Today, work comp business is sought after by large multiline carriers. But three decades ago, it was considered undesirable. Those same carriers would only write a customer’s work comp policy if they had supporting business and a good loss ratio.
Accounts that couldn’t meet these criteria – usually in high-risk industries or with a history of losses – went to the pool, where rates were high, and service was lacking.
“Back then, we were in a workers compensation emergency in the state of Missouri,” recalled Roger Walleck, MEM President and CEO. “Half of the businesses in the state couldn’t even find workers compensation insurance, but it is required by law.”
MEM was created by state statute with charges to bring safety to small businesses, and to give deference to small businesses.
We worked with our early appointed agencies to provide comprehensive safety and claims services at a time when other carriers’ service offerings were thin – a difference that had a huge impact on clients.
Speight explained: “MEM has proved that money can be made doing it the right way and that has allowed other companies to come into the monoline work comp market. MEM forced competitors to provide good loss control and work with clients and agents on claims.”
More than a work comp policy
The difference in MEM’s approach boils down to one thing: We believe that, with the right resources and our personalized approach, every business can improve safety and prevent incidents.
We quickly gained traction in our mission to help businesses labeled “high risk” improve safety, reduce incidents, and lower their premium over time.
Winter-Dent soon realized that MEM was a true difference-maker in improving client outcomes and reducing costs.
“We began to look at them as a specialist,” said one Winter-Dent agent, “who could actually turn a client’s results in a positive direction through reduced injuries and more efficient and cost-effective return to work when injuries did occur.”
Looking ahead: 2025 and beyond
What’s next for MEM and our agency partners? According to Rene Tettleton Eslinger, Chief Revenue Officer, it’s full speed ahead:
“Our 2025 vision includes expanding our reach to be a trusted work comp partner to even more businesses,” said Eslinger. “We’re forging ahead to deliver service that goes beyond a basic work comp policy, partnering with client-focused agencies like Winter-Dent, MGI and Scott to deliver our services with a personalized approach.”
With confidence in our shared mission, our agency partners are also looking forward to a bright future.
“MEM has been a valuable partner with MGI throughout its 30-year history,” Jim Baxendale, President of MGI Risk Advisors said. “We look forward to many more years offering risk management and safety solutions to our mutual clients”.