Adding Beaufort County to their five existing regions in the state, AIA introduces local representatives, Kelly Greene Tonsing, Donna Sherril Daly, and Krista Juarez. Knowing your agents by name is illustrative of AIA’s reputation as a highly relational insurance provider. Chief Operating Officer Ryan Moniz said, “We do well by our clients, and we’re only able to do that by engaging personally and being available. You’re going to be speaking to same person after the storm that you were [speaking to] before.”
Before, during, or after, Moniz describes an impressive level of commitment. “When we’re most needed, we’re here; half the office is answering the phone at 11 p.m. It’s our Super Bowl—our time to shine. It’s a privilege to be in insurance; we deal with people at the best and worst moments of their lives. Whether it’s your kid getting their driver’s license and assuring that good-grade discount or needing someone in your corner when you’re nervous or calculating loss, we step up to deliver what we’ve worked the rest of the time to promise.”
Anderson Insurance Associates does more than simply deliver in the traditional sense. Agency leadership has been part of the driving force of policy and industry development in South Carolina for decades. According to their website, they’ve been recognized as a Best Practices Agency for more than a decade, and they represent some of the largest insurance companies in the U.S.
Managing Member Jules Anderson, who has built the agency since its inception and has a list of accolades including national board member of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA), has been influential in changes to the insurance landscape in S.C., especially motivated by the aftermath of Hugo in 1989. In search of greater solutions and provisions for clients, Anderson was pivotal in initiating a type of insurance that is more accurately customizable to the individual insurer’s property and needs (as opposed to being locked into zone specifications).
“We work with clients who know their responsibility to be appropriately insured, while detailing that AIAprovides diversity of options,” Moniz explained. In layman’s terms, houses and properties with less exposure are able to save money, where they were previously locked into higher rates for high-exposure zones. Properties with higher exposure may be paying a higher rate but at least have the option of insurance where it wouldn’t have been available before.
“Companies and clients are excited we’ve moved into the area and to work with us locally because they know we do things the right way for our clients,” Moniz said. “We’ve been there through the big storms. We’ve got the background. We’ve stayed open 24/7 with no closures, providing service through local agents. If we sell a policy, we know it has the coverage you’re going to need and that we will be elbow-to-elbow with you when it counts most. We’re going to help make sure you are whole again.”
One season on or off the island and any property owner knows that promise is not only valuable and reassuring, but the odds that you’ll need a return on this promise are about as high as water levels at spring tide. Thankfully, AIA has officially hung its shingle on Hilton Head Island, new in town but with a longstanding reputation for meeting the unique insurance needs of island life.
For appointments, contact Kelly Greene Tonsing at (843) 725-4915 or kelly@aiasc.com. Visit online at aiasc.com for more information.
