At Valley Forge Captive Advisors, we exceed expectations.
A culture of doing the right things.
Anyone can promise great service, but not everyone can deliver it. At Valley Forge Captive Advisors, we’ve built a culture around doing the right things. But don’t just take our word for it. Read these member testimonials to see exactly what we mean.
“Founded more than 150 years ago, Washington Mills has become one of the world’s most trusted and reliable producers of abrasive, ceramic and refractory grains and powders. With global distribution and sites located throughout North American and Europe, Washington Mills serves thousands of customers annually. We offer the broadest selection of abrasive grain and specialty electro-fused minerals in the market today. We are a proud community of hands-on problem solvers, committed to shaping the materials applications of the future. We constantly pursue growth and excellence in our products, our approach, our vendors, and our people.
We are a company with almost 500 U.S. employees consisting of salaried professionals, hourly production, and skilled trades at our six North American manufacturing sites. In 2014, Washington Mills left the traditional insurance market with the professional support and expertise of Gary Warren and Valley Forge Captive Advisors to join the Churchill captive for Workers’ Compensation and General Liability. This decision was based on numerous factors but most specifically the continually rising costs for guaranteed premium insurance with no consideration for our safety record or safety efforts due to Washington Mills being labeled as a “bad risk” based upon our Manufacturing classification designation…..BOY WERE THEY WRONG AND OUR LAST 8 YEARS IN THE CHURCHILL CAPTIVE HAVE PROVED IT!
The vetting process to be permitted to join Churchill was thorough and fair with loss runs, OSHA experience, financial stability, and claims management all being scrutinized. Gary was with us every step of the way leading meetings, helping us pull relevant data, and strategizing on the best way to present ourselves to the Underwriting Committee for admittance. Since then, Churchill, Captive Resources, and Valley Forge Captive Advisors have continued to be by our side resulting in the past 8 years of great success. On average, we are at 50% less than we were paying in the open market in 2014, despite inflation and with adding our auto policy to Churchill in 2019 as well.
The secret to success in Churchill is engagement and commitment. As a member you are expected to complete all necessary paperwork and financials in a timely manner; attend Board meetings 2x a year; send your Safety Professionals to the semi-annual safety summits to continue to understand the captive model and the significant resources for training available; and be vigilant in your safety and claims management at your sites 365 days a year! Washington Mills has even won two Pacesetter Awards since 2016 for improved safety processes that are celebrated regularly among the members. On a regular basis, Gary and his staff at VFCA provide world class service to help us with our renewal submissions; policy and certificate management; our annual premium audit process; claims management; and adding additional Washington Mills lines when needed. They are experts in the area of captive operations, particularly Churchill, and regularly walk our senior management through the financial nuances and strategic advantages available in placement of coverages. Captive Resources, which manages the Churchill captive and negotiates renewals with Zurich, as well as Kensington Management, which handles the regulatory compliance in Cayman, also bring unparalleled commitment and professionalism to this program. Churchill is often described by Captive Resources as their “Gold Star” of the programs they manage!
Washington Mills has undeniably benefitted by working with Gary Warren and his entire team at VFCA and joining Churchill from a financial and safety culture! We are reaping the rewards of our significantly improve safety record as a result of utilizing the resources that have been provided to us. We can hold our team accountable for accidents to prevent reoccurrence and share our successes when we have a great year. No other insurance model makes sense when you are confident that your Company has and will make safety a Number One priority and I cannot recommend Gary and his staff at VFCA enough to provide you with the tools an expertise to get you where you need to be!”
Nancy Gates
Executive Director of Human Resources – Washington Mills
“Foley, Inc. is the Caterpillar Dealer for New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, norther Delaware, Bermuda and Staten Island.
The General Liability, Auto, and Workers Comp insurance markets are complex to navigate. We were not satisfied with the traditional insurance path we were on and looked to Valley Forge Captive Advisors to improve our experience. Their expertise as captive advisors led us to Churchill Casualty which has been a beneficial decision. VCFA helped us navigate the onboarding process and has been a tremendous asset whether it be during an ongoing claim or the renewal process. They have learned our business, understand our needs and proactively work to minimize our risk.
I would highly recommend Gary and his team to any organization that is looking to improve. They will be right by your side not just on day one, but throughout the relationship.”
Jon Souliere
Foley, Inc.
“Joining Churchill in 1999 has focused and improved the safety and claims management efforts within our organization. These efforts have resulted in ongoing premium savings and substantial dividend returns. Churchill has attracted some of the finest companies in their respective fields creating the strength of this captive insurance company. We are proud to be a member of Churchill Casualty Limited.”
Raymond A. Jungclaus, Jr.
Chief Financial Officer – Fessenden Hall, Inc.
“Sea Watch International, Ltd. joined Churchill in March 2004. It was the “best business insurance move” decision we made in a while. Facing double-digit increases over the previous few years due to market conditions and a good safety record with low losses, our management team was frustrated. Now, we feel we are being rewarded for our attention to safety and accident prevention. We now belong to a group of companies that feel the same way as we do. We hear it at every board meeting or risk control workshop we attend – the attention to safety and accident prevention will result in a safe work environment for our fellow employees, lower costs and a better “bottom line”. A win-win situation!”
Douglas Morrow
Director of Human Resources – Sea Watch International, Ltd.
“Being a MAC Casualty member brings a new perspective to commercial insurance and the opportunity to save money is compelling. As an owner of the company, you are proactively involved in the underwriting, finance and risk control decisions that can result in not only real cost savings but workplace improvements as well. The captive concept brings a true cause and effect relationship to the insurance process in an exceptionally professional environment.”
Don Janezic
Chief Financial Officer – Bigelow Tea Company
“Kamco Supply Corp of New England has been a member of Churchill Casualty since 1998 and we have enjoyed many benefits with the program. It has helped us in fostering a safe work environment through the implementation of various loss control programs and techniques. The group has also helped us through the many networking opportunities to exchange ideas with other progressive member companies and to utilize the best concepts to improve our operations. In addition to the many financial advantages of managing risk and controlling losses, there have been several great opportunities to work with the other industry-leading member companies in the Churchill organization.”
Jay Sheehy
President – Kamco Supply Corp of New England