IRKLAND, Wash. — What has building bikes for charity got to do with filling 1,000 insurance jobs? Not much, you might say; but LTC Financial Partners LLC, (LTCFP), a fast-growing insurance agency, thinks otherwise. Says CEO Cameron Truesdell, “While tightening bolts and pumping tires, our sales leaders brainstormed how to find and hire really good people.” Cooperative physical activity has proved an effective approach for team building and idea generation, Truesdell points out. “And our people felt good knowing the bikes would be going to needy children.” Within this upbeat atmosphere, positive thoughts and plans flowed, he reported.
In today’s depressed economy, filling 1,000 jobs might not seem much of a challenge. “But from our point of view, it’s a big deal,” says Truesdell. “We’re not looking for just anybody, but exceptional people who want to specialize in long term care insurance sales.” That’s a fast-growing specialty with excellent income potential, he says, “but it calls for special abilities: communication, caring, analysis, planning, following up and keeping your word, among other things.”
LTCFP needs 1,000 new agents to cover all parts of America including the Tampa area. “As 77 million baby boomers approach retirement, the need for long term care insurance is mushrooming,” Truesdell explains.
Ten bikes were put together. They are being donated to God’s Pedal Power Ministry (www.godspedalpower.org), an all volunteer, multi-denominational partnership between St. James United Methodist Church of New Tampa and University Baptist Church of Tampa. Since 1997, God’s Pedal Power Ministry has refurbished and given away over 3,000 bicycles to people who have been referred to the ministry. Along with the bike, the new owner is given a positive message, a bike safety lesson, a new safety helmet, and a Bible.
The LTCFP bike-building event is supplying brand-new bicycles to deserving children, teens, and adults who need alternative transportation. It took take place the week of September 22 with tools provided by a client of LTCFP, local diesel engine maintenance and repair facility, Trans Marine Tampa (TMT). “It was a pleasure working with LTCFP, which helped us develop our long term care insurance program for all our employees,” states Shane Roeser, President of TMT. “I was happy to be able to give back to LTCFP and their charity choice.”
Adding 1,000 new agents will more than double LTCFP’s size, no small challenge, but in the past the company has proved capable of rapid growth. Inc. Magazine recently ranked LTCFP No. 1,353 among all companies, and No. 12 in the insurance category, in its annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the nation. Among insurance agencies, LTCFP is the fastest-growing one focusing exclusively on long term care insurance sales. LTCFP plans to add 1,000 agents over the 2009 calendar year.
Information on LTCFP and its ranking is available on the Inc. Magazine site, at –
http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2008/company-profile.html?id=200813530 .
Photographs of the bike-building event are available at http://www.ltcfp.us/ltcfp/tampa-bike-building.htm.
