Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida | Page 26

Insurance Office of America “Experience the Edge” Insurance Office of America was formed in 1988 by three people with a vision to radically change how agencies operate. Today there are nearly 1,000 employees and agents with more than 40 locations, including one in London that has direct access to the large Lloyds facilities. And IOA ranks 13th in revenue of all of the Independent insurance agencies in the nation according to the August 2015 issue of Insurance Journal. Elizabeth (Beth) Hendrick joined IOA in 1996 as the first female agent. Specializing in underground utilities and site work, she completed a basic construction course with the belief that contractors can quickly detect a “pretender” in the field. She has had affiliations with NUCA over the years and supports the different events for the members. At one of the early events, NUCA hosted a field trip to one of the pipe production companies and a jobsite demo. It was there that she developed a true respect for the men in the field in their abilities to get the job done quickly, properly, and safely. Over the years, she has obtained her Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation as well as the Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI). She has taught continuing education classes to other insurance professionals since 1997 and has assisted in textbook revisions and writing Risk Management curricula. Beth is an active participant in the field audits for contractors, believing that it is much easier to fix a problem while the auditor is there rather than waiting for it to be produced. She gets intensely involved with large claims, making sure her clients get the best possible outcomes. And she now is working with her son David for continuity in the business.