NALP's ELEVATE Conference Brings Landscape Industry Insights

Author, Megan Lockhart, Marketing & Media Communications Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

From Left: RMI Landscape Group VP Drew Garcia, BHHC Sr. VP Chief Marketing Officer Margaret Hatmann, and Loss Control Supervisor Steve Hamilton

From Left: RMI Account Executive Greg Garcia and RMI Landscape Group VP Drew Garcia, stand at RMI Booth

From Left: RMI Landscape Group VP Drew Garcia, RMI Account Executive Greg Garcia, BHHC Sr. VP Chief Marketing Officer Margaret Hatmann, and BHHC Loss Control Supervisor Steve Hamilton

On November 3-6, our Rancho Mesa team had spent time learning and networking at the National Association of Landscape Professionals 2024 ELEVATE Conference in Charlotte, NC.

RMI President David Garcia, Landscape Group Vice President Drew Garcia, and Account Executive Greg Garcia also enjoyed hosting clients and partners at our OneofOne© Reception prior to the conference.

Following the event, Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley sat down with Greg Garcia to recap NALP’s ELEVATE Conference and share important takeaways for the landscape industry.

Carrier Spotlight: President David Garcia Attends BHHC Producer Council Meeting

Rancho Mesa President, David Garcia, spent the past few days at the Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies Producer Council Meeting, at Boulders Resort in Scottsdale, AZ.

Garcia is grateful for the first class accommodations that the BHHC leadership team provided, including welcome gifts, meals, leisure activities, engaging conversations, and breakout sessions with other agency colleagues and their leadership teams.

“I’ve been fortunate to be invited to this event for the past 15 years so I always look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones,” Garcia said. “I’m rapidly becoming not only the most tenured attendee, but also the oldest. The former I’m proud of, the latter not so much.”

Rancho Mesa is proud to partner with BHHC and is grateful for the opportunity to connect and voice ways we can best serve the insurance community.

“A special thank you to Rob Darby, CEO and President, Margaret Hartmann, Sr. Vice President and CMO, and Danny Engell, Sr. Vice President of Underwriting, as well as the rest of the BHHC leadership team, for making me feel welcome and important,” Garcia said.

Rancho Mesa and BHHC Host OSHA 10 Course for Landscape Professionals

Author, Kathryn Zamora, Client Technology Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa and Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies hosted its OSHA 10 Landscape Focused Course in San Jose, California on Wednesday, May 8 – Thursday, May 9.  

During the course, BHHC’s Steve Hamilton taught clients the purpose of OSHA and how to identify safety hazards and prevent OSHA violations. Attendees became certified in OSHA 10 and received a certificate from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP).  

“We really appreciate the support from BHHC, Steve Hamilton, Loss Control Supervisor for BHHC, as well NALP, and the landscape professionals who attended the two-day workshop,” said Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group at Rancho Mesa. “Rancho Mesa is proud to work alongside the landscape industry and we will continue to look for ways to help bring safety and risk management content to the industry.”

Supporting Landscape Professionals: Rancho Mesa Sponsors NALP’s Leaders Forum 2024

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa President Dave Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia, and Account Executive Greg Garcia attended the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Leaders Forum in Litibu, Nayarit, Mexico last week, January 17 to 20.

Rancho Mesa continued its support of Leaders Forum 2024 as a Gold Sponsor this year. Our executives enjoyed networking with other landscape professionals and gaining more knowledge about their industry.

“Leaders Forum is a great opportunity to connect, build relationships and spend time with some of the industry’s best.  NALP does a great job hosting and cultivating plenty of opportunities for businesses and industry partners to network.” Drew said.

The team cultivated business relationships with the many green industry leaders who attended, as well as built more personal bonds while enjoying the destination’s offerings, such as surfing, cornhole, and live music.

“NALP and those who attend Leaders Forum all understand how to make everyone feel welcome,” Drew said. “We are very intentional at this event to listen, this helps our business better develop current and future needs of the green industry.”

Dave, Drew, and Greg were joined by Rancho Mesa clients, partners, and friends, including President of Stay Green, Chris Angelo, CFO of LandCare, Dan Krems, and Allen Sweeney, CEO of Aphix.

About NALP

The National Association of Landscape Professionals is the national trade association representing nearly 100,000 landscape industry professionals in the United States, with additional members in Canada and overseas. Member companies specialize in lawn care, landscape design and installation, landscape maintenance, tree care, irrigation and water management, and interior plantscaping. Members also include students, consultants, industry suppliers, state associations and affiliate members.  For more information, visit www.landscapeprofessionals.org.

Client Spotlight: Francis Parker School Prioritizes Fall Protection Training

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Marketing & Media Communications Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, Francis Parker School took a significant step in ensuring the well-being of their maintenance crew by organizing fall protection training.

The training was expertly conducted by Zee Reid and Laurel Tanaka-Regan, Senior Loss Control Specialists at Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies. Their experience in safety measures ensured that the maintenance crew at Francis Parker School received thorough instruction on fall protection. By partnering with professionals who prioritize safety, Francis Parker School not only demonstrates their dedication to their team's well-being but also their commitment to fostering a safe and secure environment.

Rancho Mesa is thrilled to support clients like Francis Parker School, who embrace safety as a core value and take proactive steps to protect their community.

About Francis Parker School
Francis Parker School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school for students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12 from across San Diego County. Parker's mission is to inspire a diverse community of independent thinkers whose academic excellence, global perspective and strength of character prepare them to make a meaningful difference in the world. To learn more, please visit francisparker.org.

Rancho Mesa Hosts Heat Illness Prevention Workshop

Author, Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Friday, June 2, Rancho Mesa held its Heat Illness Prevention Workshop at the Mission Valley Library, presented by Zee Reid from Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies.

Attendees enjoyed bagels, pastries, and fresh coffee as they learned best practices for keeping themselves and their employees safe from heat illness on the job site.

Reid covered the symptoms of heat illness, tactics employees should follow to prevent heat-related illness, and how to develop written procedures to avoid heat-related OSHA violations.

Like many of Rancho Mesa’s live workshops, this training is a part of the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ program. Clients who chose to participate, took the quiz at the end of the presentation and earned credit towards their certification in construction safety.

Rancho Mesa values offering these workshops to promote safety and help clients manage risk.

Our next webinar is Cyber Liability Explained: Hacking Trends for 2023 on Friday, July 14.

About Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Company
The Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies (BHHC) are a group of six regional insurance carriers that are part of the Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group. With more than 40 years in business, BHHC has earned an enviable record of success in the insurance industry that is supported by A.M. Best's highest financial strength rating of A++. Its financial strength provides employees, agency partners, and policyholders the security rarely available in today's marketplace. To learn more, visit www.bhhc.com.

Rancho Mesa Hosts BHHC at Aztec’s Game

Pictured Margaret Hartmann Sr. Vice President Chief Marketing Officer, BHHC; Dave Garcia, President, Rancho Mesa; Danny Engell, Senior Vice President & Chief Underwriting and Analytics Officer BHHC; and Daniel Frazee, Executive Vice President, Rancho Mesa.

Rancho Mesa enjoyed hosting clients and Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies’ (BHHC) Executive Leadership Team in their suite for another fun night watching the SDSU Aztecs play against the SJSU Spartans.

Special thanks to all our clients who attended on Saturday, November 12, 2022, and thank you to President of BHHC Rob Darby, who made the trip down from San Francisco in order to attend. 

Go Aztecs!

Client Spotlight: UCP San Diego Hosts 39th Annual Celebrity Waiters Luncheon

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Friday, September 23, 2022, United Cerebral Palsy Association of San Diego County (UCP) hosted their 39th Annual Celebrity Waiters Luncheon on Coronado Island, CA.

Rancho Mesa’s Dave Garcia, Lori Stone, Alyssa Burley, and Christina Haake were honored to attend as guests of Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies. San Diego firefighters, local TV personalities, sports mascots such as the Padre’s Swinging Friar, celebrities, Hollywood look-a-likes, and generous supporters helped raise over $62,000. The proceeds benefit UCP’s mission to assist people affected by cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

Rancho Mesa is excited to attend this event each year, and is a proud sponsor of UCP and its mission!

About United Cerebral Palsy of San Diego County
Since 1958, UCP is an agency committed to advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people affected by cerebral palsy and other disabilities. Working throughout the years to improve services with every step, UCP has program centers in San Diego and Escondido and numerous community based programs serving hundreds of local citizens on a daily basis. For more information, please visit www.ucpsd.org.

Client Spotlight: Munie Greencare Recognized with NALP’s Safety Award

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa would like to congratulate all of the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) 2022 Safety Award recipients, with a special shoutout to client Munie Greencare Professionals.

“It’s no surprise that Munie achieved this type of safety recognition. President Joe Munie and his team are consistent in everything they do.” said Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group at Rancho Mesa.

Munie Greencare received the Gold Overall Safety Achievement for having no injuries and illnesses, and zero days away from work.

“Munie Greencare Professionals has consistently demonstrated their attention to team member safety. They have applied their safe work culture to a large variety of customer offered services in their multi-state operations,” says Keith Smith, Loss Control Supervisor at BHHC. “Their employee commitment to applied operational safety continues to keep injury frequency low compared to similar companies.”

Congratulations to Munie on this well deserved accomplishment!

Rancho Mesa and BHHC Attend SDSU Football Golf Tournament

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Daniel Frazee, Greg Garcia, SDSU Head Coach Brady Hoke, Dave Garcia, and Rob Darby.

On Friday, July 29, 2022, Rancho Mesa’s President Dave Garcia, Executive Vice President Daniel Frazee, and Account Executive in the Landscape Group Greg Garcia were joined by President of Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies Rob Darby at the SDSU Football Golf Tournament at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. 

“I’m a proud graduate of San Diego State and longtime supporter of their efforts to help shape future generations of young people both on the field and in the classroom,” commented Dave Garcia at the event. 

“Having Rob come down from San Francisco and join us was awesome, it just shows his and BHHC’s commitment to both Rancho Mesa and organizations that we value – can’t thank him enough for making the time and effort,” Dave added.

Rancho Mesa is excited to have a suite at SDSU’s new Snapdragon stadium where the agency plans to entertain clients, carriers, and other partners when the it opens in September 2022.

Dave concluded, “getting to talk with Aztec’s Head Coach Hoke and hearing the excitement in his voice about both the opening of SnapDragon Stadium and the upcoming season, really fired us all up for the September 3rd game vs. Arizona.”