Agency of the Month: Houchens Insurance Group (HIG)

A few years ago, Houchens Insurance Group (HIG) surveyed its clients and staff to better understand how the Kentucky-based agency was perceived. The results were surprising. 

“We thought our clients would say something like, ‘They provide great service,’ or other typical things that insurance agencies emphasize. However, what they said over and over is that nobody works harder than we do to make sure our customers always get a positive customer experience,” says HIG President Andy Barker.

Whether it’s delivering certificates of insurance long after hours, being the first ones on site after a loss, or comforting customers in times of crisis, HIG’s people go above and beyond, and the results show it. Since 2011, the agency has increased its revenue from $30M to $80M—an increase completely from organic growth—while maintaining an incredible 96 percent retention rate. 

Employee Owners

“People work hard at HIG because we love what we do. People are also empowered and are provided ownership opportunity through our ESOP. Every one of the nameplates outside peoples’ offices has the word ‘Owner’ on it,” says Andy. 

HIG also emphasizes continuing education. “We are fiercely independent and focused on organic growth, and that means we need to encourage the personal and professional development of our staff,” says Andy, adding that 35 of the agency’s 93 producers have come through the agency’s internship program. 

The agency has a team-selling focus and an environment that supports shared success at all levels. “We want people to know that they are valued—that they have significance in the business. I truly believe this drives a sense of determination across the organization. People work together to find a way to win, and we hold each other accountable in a positive way,” says Andy.

HIG’s employee-focused culture earned it recognition as the Best Place to Work in Kentucky as well as 5^th in the nation among the Best Places to Work in Insurance. The agency was also named a Big I Best Practices agency in 2021. 

With seven locations and clients in all 50 states, HIG writes a broad mix of business and has a special emphasis on construction, businesses in the “field-to-table” chain, and public entities.

“We have been remarkably successful with schools, county governments, and similar organizations,” Andy says. “We dedicate a significant amount of service resources toward building and driving that niche, and it’s had both explosive growth and unbelievable retention.”

Growth Goals

The agency is poised for continued expansion, targeting $100M in revenue within the next five years.

“We are focusing on controlled, steady growth that reflects our core values,” says Andy, adding that HIG is also exploring ways to drive even greater efficiency and increase job satisfaction throughout the organization. 

“We want to be sure people enjoy what they do,” Andy says. “Our ongoing effort is leveraging technology in order to eliminate repetitive tasks and enable people to be even more effective and significant inside their teams and across the organization.”

Above all, HIG’s unwavering focus on its motto will help drive its future growth and success. 

“We will work harder than anybody else,” Andy says, “and we will do the right thing for the client every time.”