After decades as an insurance agency executive, Jeff Haney knows that agency/carrier relationships are tested by difficult accounts, challenging claims, and changing market conditions. His experience with Summit shows the value of a stalwart workers’ comp company that listens and brings the right experts to the table when they’re needed most.

When ECM Solutions merged with IMA Financial Group in 2023, the agency gained the backing of one of the nation’s largest privately held insurance brokerages. Now operating as IMA Carolinas, the agency serves thousands of businesses across North and South Carolina. This new chapter also marked a continuation of a decades-long relationship that had already stood the test of time.

Haney, the former president of ECM Solutions, has spent more than 30 years with the agency through its evolution, and one thing has remained remarkably consistent: Summit’s commitment to helping the agency grow. The relationship between the two organizations has given IMA Carolinas a trusted workers’ compensation specialist that delivers on promises.

“The consistency and relationship piece is what I would say has been unshakable,” Haney says. “Summit understands our business and communicates openly to find solutions for our clients.” That collaborative approach has helped IMA Carolinas prosper, with Summit underwriters always focused on building client successes rather than simply processing quotes.

Haney says, “Especially as AI integrates into our business, underwriters have lots of tools at their disposal to tell them what to do. There are many who are not truly underwriters because they’re relying solely on technology. Summit still has true underwriters who look at data but also have conversations with us to reach more informed conclusions.”

When Haney began working with Summit in 2005, workers’ compensation options were limited. As a monoline company, Summit stood out by taking time to understand accounts and ask questions. Haney says that thoughtful, problem-solving approach to underwriting remains unchanged and has helped IMA Carolinas grow its workers’ compensation book of business. “Summit listens and wants to understand our side of things instead of focusing solely on loss runs or a business’s previous challenges,” Haney says.

For Haney, quick access is another reason the relationship has endured. Whether the agency has a claims question, underwriting concern, or service issue, he knows the Summit team will be available to answer a question or solve a problem quickly.

Haney recalls being on a group call involving Summit underwriting, premium audit, and loss prevention professionals who came together to discuss class code concerns. “Everyone had a chance to be heard, and they all asked me questions,” he said. “That was one of the few times in a long career that I’ve had that many qualified people on a collaborative call to resolve a prospect challenge.”

Equally important has been Summit’s commitment to retention support. While many carriers frequently change underwriting contacts or alter their appetite and pricing strategies, Haney says Summit has remained steadfast. “Some carriers have different underwriters handling an account at various stages. Those models can operate poorly, making it difficult to get through renewals. But with Summit there are fewer surprises,” he said. “The client is looked at the same way from year to year, and the renewal process is easier to follow.”

Another contributor to client retention is the same thoughtful mindset in Summit’s in-house claims and loss prevention departments.

Thorough communication from the claims team consistently improves overall client satisfaction and understanding of the claim process. For example, the agency moved a contractor over to Summit a few years back because the client was unhappy with the previous carrier’s claims handling and poor response times. “It was like a breath of fresh air for this client to start working with Summit,” says Haney. “They now have a claims team who listens and investigates when they have concerns.

“Claims is where the rubber meets the road. That’s how we all get judged ultimately by our clients: How does our carrier respond when an employee is injured? Summit makes us all look good. Our clients trust their proactive, responsive approach.”

Haney adds, “We also work with results-driven people in Summit’s loss prevention department. They’re not going to simply check a box. They educate clients to make their workplaces safer.”

For Haney, a successful carrier relationship isn’t measured by a single renewal or claim. It’s built over years of shared successes, open conversations, and the confidence that when a challenge arises, the right people will be there to help.