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Target Markets Program Administrators Association Program Administrator VGM Insurance Having entered the business community as a niche marketer of home medical equipment in his Waterloo, Iowa, hometown, Van G. Miller would eventually create the multi-million dollar enterprise known as the VGM Group. Now in its third decade of operation, and still headquartered in Waterloo, VGM employs a staff of more than 425 “associates,” as he calls them—not employees, “associates” instead—at more than a half dozen different divisions. A key company within the group is VGM Insurance. John Spragle, the president of VGM Insurance, and a recent newcomer to the Target Markets Program Administrators Association, was one of the VGM family’s early recruits. Spragle describes VGM’s origins, then its growth. “Van Miller had been a home medical equipment provider until selling his interest in that business in 1986. He promptly founded Van G. Miller & Associates and immediately created a membership organization whereby medical equipment providers, as a group, compete with national chains for manufacturers’ quantity discounts. Miller’s idea quickly met with success and now does business in more than 2,800 locations. As VGM grew rapidly, a need for expanded member services became evident. “I was working with a local agency then,” recalls Spragle, “when Van came to our agency to see about liability insurance. Our owner asked me to manage the VGM account, so in that period of time we learned a lot about home medical equipment, which helped us in the future, because it wasn’t long until Van wanted to form his own insurance division. Thus, VGM Insurance was born in 1990. Soon after setting up the insurance division, Van started a leasing company. That was followed by a telecommunications unit, an Internet group, an in-house creative department handling advertising and graphic design, a home care providers group. And more. All of them focus on assisting folks who require the use of home medical equipment. There’s even a VGM unit that we call our “freedom link” department. It supplies necessary home care equipment to people who’ve traveled for extended vacations or are moving to a new residence. “As you can see, everything the VGM organization does concentrates on helping people who need home medical equipment. That’s our niche. VGM operates one of the largest, longest-running programs dealing with insuring specialty medical equipment.” A relatively new member, Spragle attended his first TMPAA national meeting recently. He cites the association’s monthly Web-based communiqués as extremely vital niche tools. And he found that the April meeting offered opportunities to network with other members who explained their operations and how their experiences might play a role in VGM’s strategies. “Until discovering this Association, I never really had an organization to go to for discussing niche and program business,” says Spragle. “Target Markets applies no pressure at all. Here, you can pick and choose and discuss the plusses and minuses of what works, or doesn’t, for other companies. Our membership with TMPAA is, indeed, a valuable asset for VGM Insurance.” * |
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