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!
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