Hurricane season is fast approaching, which often leaves Floridians wondering what they could possibly do to be ready. A great place to start is The Salameh Insurance Group.

The independent agency offers home, auto, life, and business insurance coverage through major carriers in Florida including Progressive, St. Johns, Tower Hill, The Hartford, Travelers of Florida, and many more. With a staff of four, the company offers comprehensive service with personalized, one-on-one attention and a focus on delivering accurate quotes with lightning-fast turnaround time.

As The Salameh Insurance Group’s Principal Chris Salameh says, “We believe that if we create an experience for our customers, we will be remembered as more than an insurance agency.  Our customers will remember us as the only way to conduct business and as a way of life.” We recently asked Chris about the company he founded, the current trends in insurance, and what he suggests Florida homeowners can do to prepare for a potentially active hurricane season.

How did The Salameh Insurance Group get its start?  I started the The Salameh Insurance Group (TSG) in 2009 after I decided to leave the financial services industry and move towards property and casualty. This summer we’ll be celebrating our 4-year anniversary and I’m pleased to say we’ve seen the business grow exponentially, mainly due to our repeat customers and referrals.

What made you choose this area to live and start your business?  I was born and raised in Mandarin and have always enjoyed watching the growth and success of Julington Creek, World Golf Village, and Nocatee.  I’ve always felt like this would be a great area to begin a business and raise a family.  I now reside in Nocatee, and over time my hope is that The Salameh Insurance Group will be home to the residents of St. Johns County.

Why do customers come to TSG for their coverage?  Customers come to us mostly because they have had friends and family boast about our services. They can find us online easily, by phone, and in our suite on Race Track Road. They come to us because they are searching for a new home to park their policies and want us to do the shopping for them. When they find us, they find a new relationship.

What are the most popular coverage trends right now?  The trend right now in the marketplace is Homeowners Insurance. People are finding that over the last 24 months, homeowners insurance rates have been on a constant rise. Being independent, we are able to shop the rates amongst our Florida carriers and report the results back to our customers at no cost to them. Also, real estate has been on the rise recently, and there have been many home purchases in the recent months. Customers find that by using TSG as their preferred carrier, they get a great rate in addition to great value. 

With hurricane season coming, how can homeowners prepare for the unknown?  They will want to make sure they are aware of their WIND deductible and make sure their roof is not worn as that will minimize damage. Also, customers tend to want flood insurance as a storm is mainly in the water. Keep in mind there is a 30-day waiting period for a flood policy to be effective. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure you get flood insurance BEFORE there is a storm.

Last year, you launched your new website and it looks like you’re continuing to grow. What’s next for TSG?  We are in the process of expanding our office space and bringing on more agents and servicing reps in order to give our clients the service we’d expect.  We also service many real estate offices for upcoming closings and we are constantly interviewing real estate agents on how we can improve our services. We experienced more than 112% growth in 2012, and are in progress to surpass that in 2013. We have recently added Zach Brown as an account executive.  He has a passion for helping people and enjoys the opportunity to be a part of an organization’s success.

The Salameh Insurance Group’s office is located at 1637 Race Track Rd., Suite 102, St. Johns, FL 32259. Visit www.thesalamehgroup.com or www.facebook.com/SalamehInsurance to learn more about their services or request a quote.