TRAVERSE CITY, MI – From humble beginnings when the two founders of Michigan-based Global Marine Insurance would bring chocolate chip cookies to boat shows, the specialized insurance company has established a national presence.
“Mike Smith and I founded Global Marine Insurance in 1989, a division of Guyot, Hicks and Anderson (GHA),” explains Pam Stanley, currently Vice President and co-owner. “We had no office of our own so we borrowed other people’s offices until we could get our own.”
The two worked hard and grew their business steadily, offering Personal Marine Insurance Coverage to yacht and boat owners.
“The chocolate chip cookies became a trademark for us in those early,” says Stanley, who is respected as one of the industry’s foremost underwriters.
By 2001 Global Marine Insurance be¬¬¬came independently owned by a few key team members and since then ownership has grown. Fostering a corporate culture of collaboration and empowering team members highly vested in the outcome of the company.
The company’s Commercial Marine Insurance Division was added in recent years, providing insurance coverage to boat dealers, manufacturers, boat yards, marinas, watersport schools, yacht clubs and other marine-related businesses.
“Today we have more than 30 people on our team,” explains Matt Anderson, President and Partner. “We provide marine insurance coverage to clients across the US with remote offices in [City Name], North Carolina; Seattle, WA and Dallas, TX.”
Long gone are the days of borrowing office space. Today their Traverse City headquarters is located in CenterPointe, where staff members enjoy beautiful views of the marina while they help boaters and marine businesses.
Global Marine Insurance has weathered challenges in recent years, including the economic decline after 9/11, but continues to grow. This year the Global Recreational Division was launched, providing recreational insurance coverage for motorhomes, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, and more. “It’s a natural extension of our core competency serving recreational boaters,” says Buttleman, VP of Sales.
“We believe our expertise in recreational insurance as well as our focus on building strong relationships with clients and the community has allowed us to continue to grow and serve clients across America for 25 years. We will continue to adopt new technology, grow our clientele and service team but relationships will always remain at the center of our company,” says Anderson. Global Marine’s consentient status as a Best Practices Agency is testimony of their high standards. It’ll be exciting to see what Global Marine Insurance contributes to the community and the boating industry in the next 25 years.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Media interested in more information are welcome to contact ericabuck@globalmarineinsurance.com
