June 08, 2004

MI Restaurant Association Names Insurance Agency of the Year

The Michigan Restaurant Association recently named insurance agency Ponta Castle Ingram (PCI) as the recipient of its first-annual MRA Preferred Agency of the Year award. The MRA, along with the representatives from its three endorsed insurance programs – Great Central Insurance for property & casualty insurance, CNA for liquor liability insurance and the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Fund for workers’ compensation, set the criteria for this award, which was based on new and renewal premiums, number of new MRA members and hit ratios for each of the programs. When the MRA decided to designate “Preferred Agencies” across the state, PCI was an obvious choice.  Ponta Castle Ingram has been working with the Michigan Restaurant Association since 1992, with the development of the MRA self-insured workers’ compensation program. Over the last 12 years, PCI and their dedicated agents have become experts in determining the needs of restaurateurs, placing them with quality programs and providing them with outstanding service. They have successfully underwritten all type of restaurants and since 1969 have been recognized statewide as the insurance experts for Big Boy Restaurants. Lynn Ingram is chairman and co-owner of Ponta Castle Ingram, which is located in Birmingham.  PCI was formed in 1995 and currently writes over $30 million in annual premiums. “We have been dedicated for the past 35 years to provide insurance to the restaurant industry. We underwrite restaurants all over the country including several large franchise chains, and fine dining restaurants,” Ingram said. “We began placing Workers’ Compensation insurance for restaurants at the very onset of the Michigan Restaurant Association Workers’ Compensation Self-Insured Fund.  We have been thrilled and delighted at how extremely well this program has performed consistently over the past decade in providing large premium returns for our clients.  We are thrilled and delighted to be recognized as Agency of the Year by the Michigan Restaurant Association.” MRA Executive Director Rob Gifford also offered his congratulations.  “We appreciate the commitment the agents at PCI have made to the restaurant industry,” Gifford said. “We know that when our members place their business with PCI and our endorsed carriers, they are getting quality coverage with excellent service at great rates.  Thanks and congratulations to the entire agency.”