The Alaska Contractor - Summer 2008

enced Marsh Alaska staff, it means tapping into the Marsh
network of companies worldwide.
“If someone comes to us with a challenge, we meet it,”
Brady said. “It’s the level of specialists that we bring to bear
that makes the difference. We definitely bring many different
Marsh resources to our Alaska clients.”
Marsh’s specialists can provide insight in areas from
workers’ compensation for trucking firms, job site training
to office ergonomics. They can utilize consulting specialists
from any of Marsh’s 362 offices worldwide.
“We’re more than a transactional broker,” Allen said.
“We’ve become a trusted business partner, much as a CPA
or a law firm. We want to be part of the company.”
The primary mission of Marsh’s risk management optimization
practice is to help clients build a valued risk management
function, starting with the review of any current
risk management strategy. When claims must be filed because
of a loss, Marsh becomes an advocate for its clients as
they seek to recover damages.
Surety bonds are a critical component of the construction
industry. Marsh’s Anchorage office has the largest surety team
on the ground with five experienced professionals on staff.
“We bring together long-standing relationships with the
surety industry, a detailed knowledge of the construction
business and extensive resources to help each company anticipate,
understand and respond to conditions in the surety
industry,” Allen said.
Responding to emergencies is a critical component. If a
client faces an emergency or complex situation, Marsh calls
in resources to develop a solution.
“It’s this combination of local consultants and a worldwide
vision that sets Marsh apart,” Brady said.
In an economy where rising energy costs and a declining
dollar are cutting into profit margins, there is an increasing
need for risk management to reduce down time, supply
chain issues and other avoidable delays. Its proactive and
adaptive approach to meeting the needs of clients keeps
Marsh in the forefront of the industry.
In Alaska, Marsh Anchorage is sponsoring a “Risk Management
101” training course to help clients understand risk
management concepts. “Reducing total cost of risk enhances
our contracting clients competitive advantage and improves
their profitability,” Brady said.
Safety is such a key component for contractors that Marsh
sponsors the Associated General Contractors of Alaska’s
annual Excellence in Safety Awards. Through membership
in AGC the company builds a strong relationship with the
contracting industry in the state of Alaska.
According to Allen and Brady, it is Marsh Anchorage’s
strategy to incorporate the various aspects of insurance coverage
and risk management into a fluid, customized, strategic
package for each of its clients, emphasizing its local
knowledge and connections while benefiting from a global
network – the best of both worlds.
Marsh USA is online at http://global.marsh.com/. The
Anchorage office, at 1031 West 4th Avenue, Suite 400, may
be contacted at (907) 276-5617.
Victoria Naegele is a freelance writer who lives near Palmer.