The Buckner Company Named in IIABA Best Practices Study

Salt Lake City , Utah, September 19, 2007 – The Buckner Company is proud to announce their affiliation with an elite group of independent insurance agencies across the United States through the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) “Best Practices” Study Group.

The Buckner Company submitted detailed financial and operational information that was analyzed, scored, and ranked objectively for inclusion in the study on the basis of operational excellence, including growth, profitability, productivity, and financial stability. Terry Buckner, The Buckner Company CEO and President, said, “This is an honor for our entire organization. This recognition acknowledges our commitment to excellence in serving our clients, insurance carriers and associates.”

While over 800 agencies were nominated, only 195 agencies scored high enough to qualify for inclusion, The Buckner Company included. “According to the results of the group, not only are we in a select group chosen by IIABA, our results place us in the top third of that elite group,” Buckner said.

How did The Buckner Company rank so prominently? “We have put together a team of the most dynamic and aggressive insurance professionals in our region,” said Buckner. “These individuals have resulted in growth by the firm of almost 300 percent over the past 5 years and 51 percent in the past year alone. We are ‘the place to be’ for both the highest quality insurance professionals concerned about service and taking care of their clients, and the insurance carriers who accept those risks.”

Additionally, The Buckner Company will be opening a Utah County office in the 4 th quarter of this year, further expanding their local influence in Utah. This will add to The Buckner Company’s other locations in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

The IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, come together each year to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories. The agencies comprising the study groups are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a “Best Practices” Agency designation. The selected “Best Practices” agencies retain their status during the three-year cycle by submitting extensive financial and operational dad for review each year.

Since 1936, The Buckner Company has been serving the insurance needs of Utah and the surrounding states with honesty, integrity, and superior service. Today, as one of the most prominent insurance agencies in the West, The Buckner Company stands out from their competition in their expertise and knowledge of the construction and commercial businesses they service. In addition to providing their expertise in these fields, The Buckner Company also offers personal insurance, employee benefits, and surety bonding services. Visit www.buckner.com for more information.

Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers, and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance – property, casualty, life and health – as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. For more information on IIABA, go to www.independentagents.com.