It has been said that most people don't choose their profession; their professions choose them. Being in the right place at the right time is the phrase usually employed.

The time was 1964 and I was just getting started in my own insurance agency. One of my clients had begun a retail wine business, and we became good friends. At one of our meetings, my friend and client suggested that I take home a few cases of a wine which was supposed to be "out of site". Not wanting to disappoint my friend, I agreed and loaded my car. "That will be $600", stated the clerk, and I just about fell over. I wasn't even making $600 a month at that time. Not wanting to embarrass myself, I made a deal to pay part of the bill each month and went home. My wife, who happened to be the primary bread winner at the time, watched in disbelief as I stacked the wine in the corner of the bedroom. "What are we going to do with that and how much did it cost?" she asked. After calming her down, we sat down to one of her famous dinners and opened one of my new bottles. It was then that my love and appreciation of wine began. Little did I know that one day my insurance business and love of wine would unite as one.

RMF

That wine turned out to be the 1961 Chateau Latour, a case of which recently sold at auction for over $50,000. As the insurance business grew, the wine collection grew and we developed relationships with many major retailers. It was a meeting with one of these retailers that launched the Liquor Pak Insurance Programs.

Prior to our programs, liquor stores were typically forced into the surplus lines market for insurance. We helped change that in 1996 when we were able to develop a program specifically for retail wine and liquor merchants. How did we know what types of insurance coverages were needed? Simple. We asked. But, we didn't ask insurance underwriters, agents or actuaries. We asked liquor store owners. And after hearing from small, owner-operated corner stores to large-volume super stores, we developed a program that provided the coverages storeowners needed, while also helping them maintain a profitable business.

Storeowners do not want to be forced to carry high property limits all year, just to protect the high inventory levels kept during peak holiday periods. They require liquor liability protection but are tired of being charged similar rates as a bar or restaurant owner. And, they don¹t need all the paperwork and red tape that comes with separate policies for liability, property, and umbrella coverages, not to mention workers¹ compensation or automobile policies. But the one thing that was most important to them was their ability to control the cost of doing business. And that included the cost of their insurance protection. That's why we¹ve teamed with Great American Insurance Companies to offer the most competitive and comprehensive insurance program available for wine and liquor merchants.

Liquor Pak Insurance Programs are available to the best wine and liquor retailers across the country and are distributed through independent agents.