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Pepper, Johnstone & Company Blog

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Insurance

Don’t believe local independent insurance agencies are right for you? Listen to our clients

Business owners looking for insurance want more than an agent. They want a trusted insurance advisor who will listen to their needs and look out for their best interests. We know you have a business to run: sales and operational execution are your top priorities - not insurance. But when the time comes to file a claim or adjust your coverage, you need to know that your insurance agent will work with you, not just upsell additional products and policies you don’t need.

At Pepper, Johnstone & Company, we pride ourselves on going to bat for our clients as an independent insurance agency. Because we don’t work for the insurance carriers, there’s no conflict of interest in terms of working with adjustors when you have to file a claim. We consider ourselves professional insurance advisors that just happen to sell insurance products as well!

Not sure you believe us? Here are a few testimonials from several of our clients who can attest to the strength of relationships and work ethic we aim to provide every day.  


Working toward client partnerships, through good times and bad

Our goal is for our clients to view us as a partner, especially in the event they have to file a claim. Lynn Persell, of Persell Lumber, has experienced this first-hand. His business had the unfortunate experience of suffering damage to their building when a tornado came through in April 2014, leaving his facility with significant damage. We had the opportunity to work with Lynn and the carrier’s adjuster to get his facility rebuilt. Says Lynn: “I'm with Pepper, Johnstone & Company today because they took care of me during the darkest days that we had just right after the tornado. And as we have grown, they have been growing right with us and taking care of us where we will be able to not only provide for our customers and our employees now but also for the future.”  

Lauren Marsh with Ridgeline Construction tells us that the reason they’ve been with Pepper, Johnstone & Company since 2016 is their sense of accountability. Says Lauren: “Anytime that I need something taken care of, I know that I can pick up the phone and they'll immediately take care of it and they will take care of it in the way that I know that they would take care of themselves. They really put a personal touch on it. And I know that whatever answer they give me or whatever information they provide for me has been well thought out. And it's really for the betterment of our business and the protection of our business.”

Mike Walters, the owner of MVW Nutritionals, tells us that his relationship with Pepper, Johnstone & Company is about more than just the nuts and bolts of insurance. Says Mike: “I'm gonna use a phrase here. They're really not a vendor. We have a lot of vendors. Rather, they're consultants to us. They help us understand what the insurance is intended to do through active and ongoing dialogue. They really understand our business and our risk profile based on their knowledge of the industry. And through that, they help us make informed decisions.”

A culture of compassion and community relationships

Part of our mission statement involves “unsurpassable client service while supporting our community and our stakeholders.”  While a lot of businesses pay lip service to this type of mission, to us, it’s a way of life. 

Lynn Persell says, “The ownership of Pepper, Johnstone, as well as their employees, are very involved in the community - they’re very active. And I think that's always good to have a company that gives back the way they do - not just take.” 

Mike Walters shares his views of Pepper, Johnstone & Company as a community member, saying, “As I think about how the community views Pepper, Johnstone, they are persons of high ethical character. They're not just there to sell you a policy. They're there to try to understand your tolerance for risk management. They're there to understand your business or personal needs. And when you put those two together, they bring solutions that fit.”

And Lauren Marsh feels that the team at Pepper, Johnstone & Company doesn’t just care about her professionally. She remarks, “They are very good at taking the time to really listen to my needs and not only just meet those needs from a business standpoint, but also just encourage me from a personal standpoint as well.”

As independent insurance brokers, we offer advantages to you that captive agencies just can’t. Our clients will attest that the service and support they receive from our team are unparalleled and that our organization really does prioritize service, both to our clients and to the communities in which we work and live. 

We welcome the opportunity to develop a relationship with your business.

Look to Pepper, Johnstone & Company for quality commercial insurance coverage and unsurpassable client service.

Looking for the best insurance for your business? Pepper, Johnstone & Company’s independent insurance agents look after you by working with a variety of different independent insurance carriers. We’re professional insurance advisors who just happen to sell insurance products!  Visit us today at our website or call at 256-232-7818 to get us working on a quote for you today.  You can also request an online quote here by clicking on the type of coverage in which you are interested.