Jan 2, 20233 min read

Tell Us What You Do: Relation Insurance, Inc.

Written by Bloom Magazine

How does your organization serve the workers' compensation community?

Relation has been honored to handle workers' compensation claims exclusive to self-funded Florida municipalities and school boards since 1982.

What's the story behind the company? How did the company begin?

Relation Insurance Services is a national brokerage, administration, and consulting firm offering property & casualty, employee benefits, and risk management services. Based in Walnut Creek, California, Relation is led by President and CEO Joe Tatum. Relation combines sophisticated national resources and specialized industry expertise to deliver the best combination of insurance coverage, claims services, and loss control to help clients address the needs of their businesses, employees, and constituents. Relation Insurance Services of Florida, located in Stuart, Florida, is a provider of brokerage, third-party claims administration, risk management consulting, and loss control services, specializing in governmental entities. The Stuart office was established in 1982 as McCreary Corporation by William (Bill) McCreary. Tim McCreary, Bill’s son, is the current president of Relation, Florida. Relation has worked diligently over the years to develop a team of experienced professionals who genuinely care.

What are the company's vision, mission, values, and culture?

Relation’s corporate mission is to create a premier insurance agency that offers superior risk management and benefits consulting services while providing a rewarding professional environment that preserves the expertise and culture that made each operational center successful. Our service philosophy at Relation is to deliver outstanding value to our clients and business partners by applying advanced technology, experienced staff, operational flexibility, and innovation. ED Page, COO of Relation, wrote an article The True Key to Success is Culture. He defines our company culture by stating, “senior leaders set the tone for any organization. Your employees see everything you do—your work habits, how you treat people, your consistency (or lack thereof), and the behaviors you demonstrate daily. While words matter, leaders’ actions matter far more. Culture is always set from the top and created by example—so strive to be an excellent one.” At Relation, we do a number of things to help demonstrate the culture we want to have. For example, each employee gets a handwritten note from senior leaders to celebrate key milestones. In the midst of the day-to-day, you may be tempted to hit the easy button or think about what’s needed immediately, especially if the short-term decision conflicts with the long-term. Adopt the mindset that you’re creating a company that will last hundreds of years and acts accordingly. Always try to do the right thing, no matter how painful it is. Our company slogan is Relationships Matter, which means with our employees, clients, vendors, and providers. We always prioritize building these relationships.

Why should a new client choose your organization over those of your competitors?

Our core business for the last 40 years has been focused on public entity risk management, governmental agencies, school boards and private companies. We specialize in self-funded workers’ compensation, property, and casualty, and employee benefits programs for Florida’s public entities; and, as such, have a keen understanding of governmental operations, sovereign immunity, the budget process, establishing funding levels and the risk management needs unique to public entities. Whether it’s for you, your family, or your business/organization, we want to be the relationship you trust for answers to your questions, solutions for your insurance needs, and peace of mind for your future.

How can your organization/product/service solve customers' challenges?

Client focus is Relation’s top priority. Our focus and experience qualify us to fulfill our client’s requested services. We are committed to long-term client relationships and to helping our clients achieve their goals. Our strong understanding of your business strategy guides our work. Together, we create and execute innovative solutions for all unique exposures, no matter how complex they may be. We see ourselves as a member of our client’s team, providing data-driven strategic advice and using our highly specialized services and claims system to develop distinctive solutions to specific problems. Relation’s client service philosophy can be described in four words Excellence, Flexibility, Customization, and Teamwork.

If you could only list three things, what would you say are the top three things that make your organization different from your competitors?

Culture. Relation works diligently to give both employees and clients the best possible experience.
Prioritizing our employees, which has resulted in an extremely low turnover.
Customized solutions for our clients based on their individual needs.