Main Office
2086 South Custer Road
Monroe, MI  48161-1831
(734) 457-9009
(734) 457-6666 (fax)

Hours:  Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
              Wednesdays open till 7:00pm
              By appointment as needed

Vision Statement

“Raisin Valley Insurance Agency is committed to providing quality service and building trust with our customers, companies and community by promoting professionalism, integrity, dependability and education.  We provide a full product portfolio to address all our customers security and financial needs.”
 

Mission Statement

History

The Raisin Valley Insurance Agency was formed in October 1990 by Deanna Lynn Sobocienski, President.  After working for five years in a direct writer agency, two years in corporate business administration and eleven years for a large independent insurance agency, she began at 1622 North Monroe Street with appointments from Meridian Mutual Insurance Company, Ohio Casualty Insurance Group, Imperial Midwest, Foremost Insurance Company and Midwest Mutual Insurance Company.  During the first year of business we purchased a Packard Bell computer used for rating and some word processing, but mostly an electric typewriter and word processing unit were used.  We had a Varicom telephone system with three extensions and two incoming lines.  Late in 1992 we added a FAX machine with thermal paper on a roll and had to share an incoming line with it.

Eighteen months later we moved to the front of the same building, 1626 North Monroe Street for better visibility and more space.  At the time of our move, we also invested in a used Key Phone System that had four incoming lines with capacity for two more expansions.  By this time we had three full time employees and several more carriers.  Our primary specialty products were high risk drivers and small commercial clients.  Referrals came from other direct writers in the area, who could not write various pieces of business.  We actually became automated in May 1994 with the Hoffman Computer System, also know as Amsoft.  Our client base, rating accounting, follow ups and prospecting were all done on computer as well as word processing and claim reporting.

In early 1994 we were moving once again to 707 Westwood Blvd. in Monroe Township, at the corner of M-50.  The building was owned by Richard Spicer, and also housed Dr, Eighmey’s dental practice.  During the time we enjoyed the modern offices, we expanded to seven employees and crossed the $1,500,000 premium volume level.  We had gained a reputation for writing the “difficult” or monoline policies that other agencies in town did not wish to deal with.  We had also started to add a large number of health insurance products and group programs to our portfolio.  Our customer base expanded and our referrals were beginning to grow.

By the end of 1995 we were running out of space once again and plans began for building an addition to the current location, where we moved on December 16, 1996.  June of 1997 saw us cross over the $2,000,000 premium volume level and our goals began to include specialization of sales personnel, concentration on more education and wrapping up our Total Quality Agency program with the Michigan Association of Independent Insurance Agents.  Adding additional team members, we have become a fully balanced agency with one third of our income being derived from Personal Lines, one third Commercial Lines and one third from Life and Health commissions.  Fall of 1997 brought us to a more advanced automation system, SEMCI SIS, co-partnered with State Auto Insurance Company and allowed us to install this new system.  All staff members were trained in Windows 95 through The Foxberry Group, Inc. on our workstations.  We then began the planning process for expansion to the second level of our building for future growth of our home office, a more sophisticated phone system to go beyond the eight line telephone system and we began to investigate the possibility of branch offices and marketing on the Internet.

In closing out the year 2001 we have expanded our telephone and computer system with a Nortel Network shared over a T-1 cable with our first branch office at 14275 South Custer Road, Dundee, Michigan. Capable of 36 extensions for future growth, it serves a staff of two in Dundee, which is a sales outpost only and home office staff of 12.  We also began cross training all personnel to be familiar in all three lines of insurance to better cross sell and service our clients.  Our goal is to have CISR designations for all service personnel and agency licenses for all sales and service staff.

The insurance industry has taken a swift turn to a hard market, creating both stress and opportunity.  Loss of Mutual Insurance Corp. of America (MICOA) and Meridian Mutual withdrawing from the Personal Lines Market has resulted in a year of rewrites.  State Auto and Meridian are merging to become a stronger market force and our agency was noted as one of the top writers of State Auto business in Michigan.  We have successfully updated our Total Quality Agency (TQA) requirements for a third term and continue to improve and monitor the agency’s activities.  The year 2002 should bring us to a $4,000,000 volume level.