Read Nicole Zwartz's previous Agency Success story “Ascending Through Acquisition” featuring Lapre Scali & Co.

“The first thing I needed to do was learn the insurance business,” Engle said. “I knew nothing and carriers were leaving due to low production and high loss ratios.”

Engle began learning the industry by cold calling to learn his company and products, along with handing out business cards to any business he could sell insurance to such as retailers, HVAC companies and manufacturers. “It was very difficult,” he said. “But I learned a lot of lessons from that passionate persistence.” After a television advertisement in the mid-1990s, EP&H began to receive a profit and business.

EP&H has been serving the Washington, D.C., area for 103 years, opening (as Paxson & Hawthorne) in 1908 by W.E. Paxson and his son-in-law Del Hawthorne. Paxson retired in 1974, leaving the business to Hawthorne, who then sold the company to Engle's uncle and former partner in 1980. When Engle first started, EP&H generated less than $750,000 in premium, and sold 100 percent personal lines business.

Today, EP&H is predominantly a commercial lines business (70 percent commercial, 30 percent personal) and generates around $ 10 million in premium. Commercial lines business promised faster growth and potential with larger commissions, premiums and allowed the opportunity for the agency to branch out and be more versatile.

The firm targets construction consulting and general contractors, commercial property, shopping centers, condominium associations, technology companies and HVAC, and represents Harleysville, Loudoun Mutual, Ohio Casualty, CNA, The Hartford and Progressive.

After the market went from soft to hard in the late '90s, EP&H developed a strong specialty in safety and risk management services, working closely with clients to develop and implement their safety programs. The company has an attorney to conduct contract reviews, along with financial and legal consultants.

“Incentives always accomplish more than punishment,” Engle said, “but if you get the senior leadership and management involved in leading the company in risk management, then you have a company that will perform very well. That keeps your clients' premiums down in a very competitive market.”

To stay competitive, EP&H hires smart and hardworking employees. Currently staffed with 10 full time—including Engle's two daughters—and two part timers, EP&H encourages employees to attain designations and to be socially and grammatically correct when contacting clients.

A telemarketer supplies the company with leads to keep producers updated on current events in certain industry niches—medical, technology and contractors. The agency also performs internal research, examining industry data collected from trade publications and other media sources to best take advantage of market trends and forecast future trends and leads.

Related: Read how IOA brands identity through partnering with professional sports teams in ”Insurance Office of America: Game Name” by Nicole Zwartz.

“I don't follow insurance trends and related industries and am not always on top of the newest practices,” said Michael Ward, president, Ward Data Services, and EP&H client. “I don't have the time to follow who is the best carrier for this or that type of insurance. But I don't have to. EP&H does this for me.”

EP&H is proactive with clients. The agency is focused on returning phone calls or starting conversations with its customers. “You have to return phone calls,” Engle said. “It might not always be a pleasant conversation, but you owe it to your client to return their phone call and tell them the truth, whether you want to or not.”

For example, Engle became concerned when accident rates for an insured, TMG Construction Corp., began increasing. Examining the account, Engle noticed a trend and requested a meeting with the senior management. “I predicted what was going to happen with their workers' compensation policy and coverage if they did not become proactive with safety and get their accident rate under control,” he said.

The three scenarios could have happened: The current carrier would retain the business with a small increase in coverage; EP&H would put the insured in a risk retention program, causing the company to pay more; or no carrier would accept the company's workers' comp coverage and EP&H would have to place its coverage in the residual market, resulting in not only the rates being increased but it would be issued the assigned risk adjustment premium, and that could equal to its debit experience modification rating.

“They took immediate action, and began to change their safety culture,” Engle said. “This workers' comp carrier did not want to renew; we had to place in the residual market for a year, but I went to one of my other carriers and explained the situation with them (at that time they had 2 years of very good loss ratios under their belts). That particular change saved them $100,000 in premium in just that year. They were very grateful, and have done nothing but perform well. We co-sponsored their educational forum at a trade show, The American Institute of Constructors, and the president of the company talked about the company and how we helped his company.”

Related: Read “Tackling Delivery Risks” by Nicole Zwartz.

EP&H also provides growth bonuses to top-performing production, service and retention staffers. The agency is also a proud sponsor of Loudon Interfaith Relief, a local food bank, donating more than a thousand pounds of food last year, to emphasize its role in the community.

“One of the proudest moments in my career was last year when [EP&H] was designated a Best Practices Agency and recognized as the No.1 firm in the country for our revenue group,” he said.