Client Spotlight: Advanced Painting Shines like a Star!

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Advanced Painting & Wood Repair has been in the industry for over 40 years and with that comes experienced and expert staff.  The proof is in the pudding. Or, is it in the paint?  Recently, the Advanced Painting team had a number of their staff enroll in the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ program.  In just a few weeks they had a record number of participants achieve their certificates’ of completion and more keep coming in each week.

"Companies like Advanced Painting are exactly who carriers want to pair with when it comes to safety. Programs like Safety Star can help lower the probability of accidents on the job site, promote a safer culture and potentially lower your overall insurance costs," says Casey Craig, Account Executive with Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. 

Rancho Mesa congratulates to the entire Advanced Painting team for their achievements.

The RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program is designed for supervisors, foremen, safety coordinators, and upper management in the construction industry, or administrators, directors of human resources, facilities/operations managers and safety committee members in human services organizations.  

To get your team on the path to becoming Safety Stars, please visit our RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program webpage and fill out the application form.

Beat the Heat with Heat Illness Prevention Training

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Summer is here and for most of us around the nation, it is about to get hot. 

Zee Reid, Senior Loss Control Specialist from Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies, gave Rancho Mesa clients an in depth look at best practices for creating and implementing a plan to prevent heat illness at our June 24, 2021 webinar. 

With his energy and wit, Zee pointed out best practices while showing examples of what not to do. Tumbleweeds on sticks does not suffice as a shaded area for rest, nor can sugary sodas and sports drinks  take the place of clean potable drinking water on site. Instead, his presentation reinforced that preventing heat illness requires water, shade, and rest.

The Heat Illness Prevention webinar was highly engaging. Our webinar analytics show record tentativeness by the over 30 companies in attendance.

The presentation used by Zee in our webinar can be found in the Risk Management Center, as well as many other resources.

The Heat Illness Prevention training is just one of the topics covered in the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ Program. Register for the program, today to ensure you and your employees are safety stars.

Travelers Shares Best Practices at Fleet Safety Webinar

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

As many people start to head out of their homes and back to the office, the roads have become much busier than we’ve seen during the height of the pandemic. Distractions are at a high and people are out of practice.  Implementing a Fleet Safety program for your business can significantly lower the risk of accidents and cost of claims. Thanks to Travelers, our clients got an inside look on Fleet Safety best practices at our Thursday, May 13, 2021 webinar.

Jose Pineda, Senior Risk Control Consultant, walked the webinar attendees through developing a comprehensive fleet safety program.

The Fleet Safety webinar is part of the RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™. If you are interested in achieving your Safety Star, register today.

Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ Podcast Publishes 100th Episode

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

StudioOne™, Rancho Mesa’s media productions team, is very excited to announce the publishing of the Safety and Risk Management podcast network’s 100th episode!

In January 2020, the podcast originally launched as a way for industry professionals to share safety and risk management knowledge with their peers. What started out as the release of one to two episodes a month, soon became two episodes a week. StudioOne broadened their audience and began recording weekly industry news insights, law updates, and episodes to get to know the Rancho Mesa team and industry partners.

The 100th episode is close to Rancho Mesa’s hearts because it discusses how the podcast came to life, the motivation to start interviewing guests, how we are able to record, edit, and release content, and even includes some fun behind the scenes content.

Rancho Mesa could not do this podcast without our team, carrier partners, and listeners like you. We want to thank our sponsors Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies, CNA, CompWest, ICW Group, Nationwide, Sentry, and Zenith for believing in Rancho Mesa and supporting our efforts to educate our clients and community.

Subscribe to the StudioOne™ Safety and Risk Management Network podcast on your favorite platform to never miss an episode. Episodes can also be listened to from your computer by visiting the StudioOne webpage.

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa’s Megan Smidt Promoted to Account Manager

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

A little over a year ago, Rancho Mesa welcomed Megan Smidt to our team. Her seven-plus years of commercial insurance industry knowledge, upbeat attitude, and drive to learn has led to her promotion to Account Manager in our Human Services group.

“Megan has worked diligently over the last year, proving that she has the experience and knowledge required to manage a book of business.  We are excited to see her step into this new role with RMI,” writes Kim Vasquez, Vice President of Account Services with Rancho Mesa.

Please help us congratulate Megan on her promotion and we look forward to her bright future.

Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley Named NAWIC Member of the Year

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Alyssa Burley, Media Communications & Client Services Manager, has been with Rancho Mesa for nearly 5 years; stepping above and beyond not only in her role at Rancho Mesa, but as an active member of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

Recently, the NAWIC San Diego Chapter presented Alyssa with the Member of the Year Award!

Having been a NAWIC member since 2017, Alyssa has held titles of numerous leadership roles. Currently, Alyssa serves as Professional Development & Education Committee Chairperson; organizing speakers for monthly meetings, creating slide presentations, and running virtual chapter meetings. Burley is also the Newsletter Committee Chairperson. For monthly newsletters, she curates industry and chapter articles, event information, birthdays and anniversaries, and anything else that might be of interest to members. On top of this, she is also a member of the Teller Committee which manages the Officer and Board of Directors election process. Alyssa has also participated on the committee for the yearly Women in Construction Week (WIC Week).

“Alyssa has a natural gift to bring out the best in everyone around her, and always finds a way to make the projects she takes on exceed all expectations. She is truly OneofOne,” says Dave Garcia, President of Rancho Mesa.

Rancho Mesa is proud to have OneofOne® employee, Alyssa Burley, a part of our team!

About NAWIC San Diego Chapter
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Diego Chapter, chartered on April 30, 1959, is very active and involved in the construction industry and the community. For over 65 years they have been providing education, professional development, networking and more to their members. Learn more at www.nawicsd.org.

Business Owners Take Control of their Insurance Costs at Captive Webinar

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Have you ever wondered if captive insurance is right for your company? Thanks to Doug Hayden, Senior Vice President of Captive Resources, LLC., a group of savvy business owners and CFOs got an extensive breakdown of how performance-based insurance can be beneficial for their business’s bottom line at an April 22nd virtual seminar hosted by Rancho Mesa.

A captive is designed for companies that are not only interested in controlling insurance costs and retaining investment income, but obtaining high quality coverage and insurance-related services. 

Attendees were walked through the mechanics and structure of a captive that makes them successful. Following the introduction of a captive concept, Mike Regan, CEO of Pacific Green Landscape, joined Doug to answer questions and provide insight from first-hand experience as a captive member.

This seminar produced a lots of great questions. If you are interested in a captive for your business or have questions about this option, contact Rancho Mesa at (619) 937-0164.

Rancho Mesa Named CompWest Southern California Agency of the Year

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance is thrilled to announce that we have been named the CompWest Southern California Regional Agency of the Year!

“We are excited and honored to be recognized with this prestigious award by CompWest,” commented Dave Garcia, President of Rancho Mesa. “I know CompWest works with many other agencies, so to be singled out and given this award really means a lot to me and speaks to our outstanding business partnership with them.”

Gene Simpson, Regional President of CompWest, agrees with Dave, “you’ve built an amazing agency and truly set the bar for partnership.”

Thanks to all of CompWest Insurance Company. Here's to a great 2021!

About CompWest Insurance Company
CompWest Insurance Company is a dynamic provider of workers’ compensation insurance in California and select Western states, targeting customers in health care, hospitality, manufacturing, professional services, retail and wholesale services and construction. To learn more, visit compwestinsurance.com.

Rancho Mesa Congratulates Christina Haake in Becoming a Star in Safety!

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

March 2021, Rancho Mesa’s own Christina Haake, Account Manager for the construction industry, earned her RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ in Construction Safety Certificate.

The RM365 Advantage Safety Star certificate program requires it’s participants to study incident investigation, along with at least two additional safety topics based on their industry-specific risks. Christina chose courses that directly reflect the risks her clients face in the field.

Christina has been a member of the Rancho Mesa family for 10 years and continues to excel in her career in the commercial insurance industry.

If you or a member of your team are interested in becoming a RM365 Advantage Safety Star reach out to us or visit our Safety Star webpage.

Give New Life to a Stale Employee Handbook

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications Manager and Client Services Manager

The employee handbook may seem like a stale document; created years ago that rarely is read. However, that is a misconception. An employee handbook is meant to be  a living document that communicates an employer’s expectations to employees. It can illustrate the company culture. Whether it spells out a dress code or a telecommuting policy, the employee handbook also includes information that is required by state and federal law. So, it’s imperative for employers to make sure their employee handbooks are up to date and compliant.

The employee handbook is an essential tool, used not only to outline policies, but as a way to solidify company culture. According to a 2019 TalentLMS study, 61 percent of new hires are not trained on company culture. So, if your company is obsessed with safety, the employee handbook should reflect an emphasis on safety policies. If your company values a work/life balance for its employees, make sure to include the policies that support your philosophy.  Glassdoor found that 87 percent of employees want their employer to support a healthy balance between work responsibilities and personal commitments. 

So, in order to assist employers in developing and maintaining state and federal-compliant employee handbooks, in 2019, Rancho Mesa launched its RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal (HR portal). It’s designed to be a one-stop shop for human resources advice and guidance to assist businesses in effectively managing their HR responsibilities.

The Living Employee Handbook builder in the HR portal allows employers to quickly develop state and federally-compliant employee handbooks while allowing for customized policies that are specific to individual companies.

In a recent usage report, Rancho Mesa found that over forty clients had already created at least one new employee handbook in the HR portal. These employers decided to generate a new employee handbook, to take advantage of the automated federal and state law update notifications; thus, their employee handbooks are now living documents that continue to evolve as regulations change. With a click of the “Approve” button, their employee handbook verbiage updates to stay in compliance.   

Before incurring the cost of hiring an attorney or HR firm, try using the Living Employee Handbook builder to generate your state-specific federally-compliant employee handbook. If your old employee handbook hasn’t been updated within the last twelve months, it’s time to generate a new Living Employee Handbook. 

To learn how to generate a living employee handbook through Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal, register for our webinar.