HARRISBURG, PA. (January 20, 2012) – Gunn Mowery was recognized by the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) on Thursday for its longstanding support of the organization’s Light the Night Walk.

The organization held a first-ever awards party for participating teams and individuals at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel. The non-profit organization presented several awards, including top corporate team, friends & family team, top new teams and the longevity award for teams who have been participating for at least five years.

Gunn Mowery was awarded the longevity award for six years of service to the Light the Night Walk. It also was presented with an award for being a “Shining Star Sponsor.”

The team of Gunn Mowery, led by captain Linda Willis, has helped raise over $10,000 in six years of service to the organization’s annual event. Individually, Willis has participated in the event for over 12 years now, raising close to $50,000 of funds, which go directly to blood cancer research.

Founded in 1949, the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma while improving the quality of life for patients and their families. The organization is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. Funds raised for LLS provide lifesaving blood cancer research around the world. It provides free information and support services.

About Gunn Mowery
Founded in 1985, Gunn Mowery is an independent insurance broker providing commercial insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, captive insurance, financial services and surety bonds to clients in Central Pennsylvania and beyond. Our 61 professionals are licensed in 37 states and have placement capabilities worldwide. We have four offices in Cumberland County (Lemoyne), Lancaster County (Mount Joy), York County (Dillsburg), and Centre County (State College).

Recognized locally, regionally and nationally in our industry for service, innovation and best practices standards, we continue to meet the needs of our clients in any way we can. To learn more about our agency, visit www.GunnMowery.com, or e-mail us at info@gunnmowery.com.

In Pennsylvania, the legal limits for bodily injury per occurence is $15,000, bodily injury aggregate is $30,000 and property damage is $5,000. To learn more about these limits or information on auto liability, contact a Gunn Mowery representative today — 1-800-840-1243.

In the winter season, take advantage of these preparation tips for your vehicle:

• Make sure your car is ready for winter by having the engine looked at by a professional. Look into purchasing snow tires, especially if you’re in a high-volume area for snow.
• Even a well-maintained car can break down under severe driving conditions. Carry emergency equipment in your vehicle, including a snow shovel, battery jumper cables, flares, a complete set of warm clothing, wool socks and boots. You can also pack extra fleece blankets and candles to keep you warm if your engine won’t start.
• If your vehicle is stuck in the snow or on ice, put the car in neutral and rock it back and forth gently.
• Always remember: Ice forms first and melts last on bridges and overpasses, where cold air seeps underneath. It wil cause the temperature to drop faster than anywhere else. Be especially careful on these overpasses and bridges. If the bridge is two-laned, be aware of drivers around you.
• Clean all the windows of your vehicle before starting a trip. Make sure your defrost mechanism works.
• Keep your car’s windshield washer fluid tank full. Winter slush can temporarily blind you, especially when you are following other vehicles.

Are you ready for the winter months on the road? Are you properly insured? If not, call a Gunn Mowery representative today. We will help you with your specific needs. For more information, call us at (800) 840-1243, or e-mail us at info@gunnmowery.com. To become our Facebook fan, visit Facebook.com/GunnMowery. Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Many winter-related disasters can be prevented if you take a few simple steps to protect your home from freezing temperatures, snow and wind. With the weather still relatively mild, this is the perfect time to winter-proof your home, says the Insurance Information Institute.

“According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than 10-percent of all catastrophic losses are the result of winter storms,” says Clyde Douglas, Vice President of Claims for Encompass Insurance.

Douglas urges all homeowners to prepare for winter by using the following five tips by the institute to protect the outside of your home.

* * *

Outside your home:

Clean out gutters. Remove leaves, sticks and other debris from gutters, so melting snow and ice can flow freely. This can prevent ice damning — a condition where water is unable to drain through the gutters and instead seeps into the house, causing water to drip from the ceiling and walls.

Install gutter guards. Available in most hardware and home stores, “gutter guards” prevent debris from entering the gutter and interfering with the flow of water away from the house and into the ground.

Trim trees and remove dead branches. Ice, snow and wind could cause weak trees or brances to break — damaging your home or car, as well as injuring someone walking on your property.

Repair steps and handrails. This may prevent someone from falling and seriously being injured. Broken stairs and banisters can become lethal when covered with snow and ice.

Seal cracks in holes in outside walls and foundations. Use caulking to protect water pipes and make sure that skylights and other roof openings have proper weather stripping to prevent snowmelt from seeping in.

“If you are going to be away for an extended period, take special care,” Douglas says. “Turn the water off and/or have the water system drained by a professional to keep pipes from freezing or bursting.”

Douglas recommends that you also hire someone to check your home on a regular basis.

“If there’s a problem, it can be fixed quickly – lessening any damage.”

For more information regarding  policies available t0 help protect you from risk over the winter, please contact a Gunn Mowery representative today. You can reach us by e-mail at info@gunnmowery.com, or toll-free at (800) 840-1243. You can also become our Facebook fan at www.Gunnmowery.com/Facebook, or you can subscribe to our newsletter here.

- Marketing Tips Provided by Encompass Insurance

LEMOYNE, PA. (January 5, 2011) – Gunn Mowery set new standards in quality and service in 2011. As a result of its efforts, the independent insurance agency was recognized by several business organizations.

Gunn Mowery was recognized by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, a national alliance of 300,000 agencies, as a Best Practices Agency for the fifth straight year. Reagan Consulting conducted the survey, which named 206 other agencies from across the country as a Best Practices Agency, a highly coveted industry award.

In December, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC named the agency Small Business of the Year. Since 2000, the award has recognized local businesses for excellence in the workplace and in the community.

The agency also earned its fifth straight Best Places to Work in PA honor as a small/mid-sized company. The Best Places to Work in PA honors businesses who exemplify great initiative by producing beneficial workplace policies, practices, philosophies, demographics and systems.

In August, Gunn Mowery was named ‘Simply the Best’ by Harrisburg Magazine. This was the first time the magazine had issued an insurance category in the 14 years of calculating the year-end awards. ‘Simply the Best’ votes were cast by readers of the magazine, a publication whose demographic reaches most of central Pennsylvania.

About Gunn Mowery
Gunn Mowery is an independent insurance broker providing commercial insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, captive insurance, financial services and surety bonds to clients in Central Pennsylvania and beyond. Our 61 professionals are licensed in 37 states and have placement capabilities worldwide. We have four offices in Cumberland County (Lemoyne), Lancaster County (Mount Joy), York County (Dillsburg), and Centre County (State College).

To learn more, visit www.GunnMowery.com.

LEMOYNE, PA. (December 15, 2011) – Gunn Mowery was named Small Business of the Year by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC during its year-end awards ceremony at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center Tuesday night.

The independent insurance agency, one of three finalists, was recognized for its commitment to excellence in the workplace and in the community. Theodore Mowery accepted the award on behalf of Gunn Mowery.

“We are honored and humbled to have received this award,” Gunn Mowery Managing Partner Greg Gunn said. “We are even more honored to be in the company of the past winners – nearly 50-percent of whom are our clients.

“We have always had a basic philosophy of trying to hire the best employees so they could help garner the best clients. This honor is evidence that our philosophy is working. We would like to congratulate all of our employees for making this award a reality for Gunn Mowery.”

The Small Business of the Year Award recognized the organization for its stability, growth, innovation and commitment to the community. During the nomination process, businesses were asked to distinguish their staying power, workplace innovation, and commitment to community.

Gunn Mowery is the first independent insurance agency to win the award since the recognition was first founded.

About Gunn Mowery
Gunn Mowery is an independent insurance broker providing commercial insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, captive insurance, financial services and surety bonds to clients in Central Pennsylvania and beyond. Our 61 professionals are licensed in 37 states and have placement capabilities worldwide. We have four offices in Cumberland County (Lemoyne), Lancaster County (Mount Joy), York County (Dillsburg), and Centre County (State College).

We’ve been named the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania six out of the last seven years and in September we retained our distinction for the fifth consecutive year as one of the nation’s Best Practices Agency’s by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA). In August, we were named “Simply the Best Insurance Agency” in Central Pennsylvania by readers of Harrisburg Magazine. To learn more, visit GunnMowery.com.

Note: This article was originally published in an Encompass Insurance newsletter.

Many winter-related disasters can be prevented if you take a few simple steps to protect your home from freezing temperatures, snow and wind. With the weather still mild, autumn is the perfect time to winter-proof your home, says the Insurance Information Institute.

“According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than 10 percent of all catastrophic losses are the result of winter storms,” Clyde Douglas, Vice President of Claims for Encompass Insurance, said.

He urges homeowners to prepare for winter by using the following tips from the institute:

Inside your home

• Keep the house warm. Set the thermostat for at least 65 degrees, since the temperature inside the walls, where the pipes are located, is substantially colder – a lower temperature will not keep the pipes from freezing.

• Add extra insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. If too much heat escapes through the attic, it can cause snow or ice to melt on the roof. Water can then re-freeze, causing more snow and ice to build up. This can result in a collapsed roof, and can contribute to ice damming. Ideally, the attic should be five to ten degrees warmer than the outside air. Well-insulated basements and crawl spaces will also help protect pipes from freezing. You may also consider insulating unfinished rooms such as garages to keep pipes from freezing.

• Have the heating system serviced. Furnaces, boilers and chimneys should be serviced at least once a year to prevent fire and smoke damage.

• Check pipes. Look closely for cracks and leaks and have the pipes repaired immediately. Wrap exposed pipes with heating tape.

• Install an emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing system. This will protect them against increased pressures caused by freezing pipes and can help prevent your pipes from bursting.

• Make sure that smoke and fire alarms are working properly. Residential fires increase in the winter, so it is important to protect your family with working alarm systems. Also, consider installing a carbon dioxide detector, since a well sealed home can trap this toxic gas.

• Learn how to shut the water off and know where your pipes are located. If your pipes freeze, time is of the essence. The quicker you can shut off the water or direct your plumber to the problem, the better chance you have to prevent pipes from bursting.

• Hire a licensed contractor to look for structural damage. If damage is discovered, have it repaired now rather than waiting for a problem to occur. Also, ask about ways to prevent water damage due to snow-related flooding. Plastic coatings for internal basement walls, sump pumps and other methods can prevent flood damage to your home and belongings.

“If you are going to be away for an extended period, take special care,” Douglas says. “Turn the water off and/or have the water system drained by a professional to keep pipes from freezing or bursting.” He recommends that you also hire someone to check your home on a regular basis. “If there’s a problem, it can be fixed quickly – lessening any damage.”

On Tuesday, December 6th, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee held an informational hearing on SB 1339, which would raise the current minimum liability limits from 15,000/30,000/5,000 to 30,000/60,000/10,000.