Associated Insurance Services is all about growth. “We have a strong footprint in the western and southwestern regions of the country and we’re expanding nationally, with focused growth along the east coast and gulf states,” explains company Founder and President Judi Weronicki, a 25-plus-year premium audit professional.

However, she’s taking a disciplined growth approach. “More important than getting bigger fast is developing highly trained, well qualified premium audit professionals,” Weronicki says. “We’re not looking to be an audit mill. Our reputation comes from taking a different approach and delivering accurate audits and outstanding customer service. We’re not about to change that.”

However, while Weronicki has successfully amassed a team of qualified, experienced auditors, she’s seen a trend within the audit community. “Fewer carriers are training premium auditors,” she notes. This observation, coupled with her expertise and experience, has led to a new growth tactic: professional development.

“We have a good record of training new and experienced auditors, and we’ll continue to do so,” Weronicki explains. “But ongoing success requires thinking outside the box. We need to bring new blood into the industry.”

These factors have led her to a new approach to premium audit staff recruitment and development. “We’re targeting college graduates with accounting degrees and qualified accountants interested in being cross-trained in premium audit,” she explains. “We’re combining basic training with field experience under seasoned professionals.” To do this, she’s tapping the resources of ISO’s Premium Audit Advisory Service and the National Society of Insurance Premium Auditors, along with in-house training and a company mentoring program.

As Associated Insurance Services builds for the future, technology will play an increasing role. “We continue to seek out new and better ways to efficiently help our auditors and clients,” Weronicki explains. “We’re moving toward a virtual office concept that bolsters communication and data access and, while at the same time, drives greater collaboration and professional development.”

The company also is exploring growth opportunities beyond premium audit. “We have strong relationships throughout the industry,” Weronicki says. “It makes sense to consider how we can deliver other quality services to clients who know and trust us.” Loss control and inspections services are natural possibilities.

Target Markets Program Administrators Association (TMPAA) is part of the growth strategy. “Program administrators need quality premium audit services,” she explains. “Too often, they’re at a loss for where to turn—sometimes relying on carrier recommendations, but too often tapping a local accounting professional with little or no insurance experience.”

Weronicki’s penchant for thinking outside the box drives her firm’s ability to not only provide top-notch premium audit services, but to deliver focused services designed for individual clients. “We’ve worked with enough organizations to recognize that one size does not fit all,” she says. “We have a strong record of developing and delivering custom premium audit services, and we’re eager to do even more.”

Such an approach resonates well with program administrators, because of the range of products they offer, markets they serve and different carrier relationships and arrangements they have. Weronicki sees TMPAA involvement as a way to increase awareness of her firm’s approach and capabilities, as well as to showcase the value and financial benefits of professional premium audits.

“Program administrators need to understand what constitutes a quality underwriting survey and premium audit provider,” she says, “and, even more important, they need to see the bottom line revenue and profit potential of using the right firm.”