Super Storm Sandy in October of 2012 was a real wake up call for the Northeast and for those in hurricane prone states in general. Sandy led to nearly 1.5 million insurance claims, including 1.1 million homeowners’ claims, about 250,000 vehicle claims, and more than 200,000 commercial insurance claims. Sandy was the single-largest recreational boating industry loss ever recorded, with more than 65,000 boats damaged or destroyed, resulting in $650 million in losses, across all types of property. Furthermore, Sandy was the first really powerful storm to hit the metropolitan New York area, in years. Those of us working along the coast felt Sandy’s impact in many ways. Applying lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy will enable you to better protect your business in the future. Read more >>

All major weather sources are predicting an active or extremely active 2013 Hurricane Season (June 1 to November 1). NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is forecasting 7 to 11 hurricanes, of which 3 to 6 could be major hurricanes with 111 mph winds or higher. Visit Gowrie's Severe Storm Center to access our detailed hurricane preparation resources and videos. Early season is the time to focus on preparedness. Read more >>

Dawn Speros, Senior Yacht Insurance Specialist, and Steve Prime, VP of Commercial Insurance, have been selected to present e-Seminars to an audience of marine brokers affiliated with YBAA (Yacht Broker Association of America). These engaging seminars will be presented online to an invitation only audience. Read more >>

Gowrie is proud to be a presenting sponsor of the Connecticut Shoreline Yacht Summit: “Enjoy Every Moment Aboard Your Yacht." Dawn Speros, a Senior Yacht Insurance Specialist at Gowrie Group, will present an engaging session on the “Opportunities in the Changing Marine Insurance Marketplace". Read more >>

Gowrie Group and VFIS are proud to jointly sponsor an important upcoming regional seminar series called Emergency Planning and Response for School Shootings. By teaming up with the local chapter of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Gowrie and VFIS are working to help protect our schools, first responders, and students. Read more >>

Gowrie Group’s Safety & Loss Control Manager, Kellie Crete, will be teaching a Hydraulic Trailer Safety Training Class in partnership with Brownell Trailers. This class is designed to teach new and seasoned marine employees the proper methods of safely moving boats and using hydraulic trailers. The 3-hour class will include classroom and hands-on training, and will be held on June 21st at Mystic Shipyard. More information and to sign-up >>

Gowrie Group is pleased to announce Kristen Lincoln joined the company as an Account Executive within the commercial insurance department. She will focus on bringing Gowrie’s niche insurance programs and services to municipalities and non-profits throughout New England. Read more >>

Gowrie Group is quickly becoming known as the preeminent expert on how Healthcare Reform will affect Connecticut businesses. Skip Young, President and Principal of Gowrie’s Benefits Division, is presenting a series of seminars on this topic. The first two sessions filled quickly and were extremely well received; additional sessions have been schedule. Learn more >>

Gowrie Group's Safety & Loss Control expert, Kellie Crete, is teaching a 10-Hour OSHA Outreach Training Program designed specifically for boatyard, yacht club and marina employees on March 12 & 13th. The program provides training for workers and employers on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of safety and health hazards in workplaces. The program also provides information regarding workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint. CT and RI Marine Trades Association members receive a 20% discount. To learn more visit the seminar website or contact Kellie at kelliec@gowrie.com.

Gowrie Group wants to help ensure the safety of all your members, including your smallest members - children. Over the years, the insurance and safety experts at Gowrie Group, who manage The Burgee Program, have worked with yacht clubs across the country to put in place a variety of effective dock and child safety programs. In most cases, the solutions are relatively simple and inexpensive to implement. These best practices can help to prevent tragic accidents from happening at your yacht club. Read and print the Dock Safety Guidelines.

Gowrie Group is excited to announce that Kiley Prime has joined the company as a Personal Lines and Equine insurance specialist. Kiley furthers the expansion of Gowrie's established equine insurance practice. Kiley brings to Gowrie Group her deep equine experience as a rider and horse expert. In her new role, Kiley will work with Gowrie's personal insurance equine team to advise clients on insurance solutions for all of their personal and equine assets. Read full release >>

Healthcare Reform is here and there are things employers need to know. Twenty-five clients attended Gowrie Group’s Healthcare Reform Seminar on February 26th to learn about the new requirements, timelines, and how this will affect their businesses. Topics covered included: Legal Status of the Affordable Care Act, Reforms Currently in Place, 2013 & 2014 Compliance Deadlines, and The Health Insurance Exchange. The next Healthcare Reform Seminars will be held at Gowrie on March 12th and April 4th. Contact us at benefits@gowrie.com to learn more.

Kellie Crete, manager of the Safety & Loss Prevention division at Gowrie Group, was a key speaker at US Sailing's National Sailing Symposium in Clearwater, FL. The National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS) is the premier event for sailing education in the US. NSPS is the only conference of its kind that brings together program directors, instructors, volunteers, parents and industry representatives to share and learn best practices with one another about running, maintaining and improving sailing programs. Kellie spoke about safety issues and safety best practices as they apply to yacht clubs and community sailing programs. Learn more >>

The 9th annual Gowrie Challenge to benefit The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries (SSKP) raised a record $119,000! In total, Gowrie Group has raised nearly three-quarters of a million dollars ($720,000) to benefit The Shoreline Soup Kitchen since this annual challenge was begun in 2004. This translates to Gowrie Group funding more than 2 million meals to patrons of the Shoreline Soup Kitchen. Read full article >>

January has delivered a mix of nearly record highs, bitter lows, and some wild storms across much of the country. To help you stay safe, protect your property, and prepare for more winter storms and deep freezes to come, Gowrie Group invites you to visit our Winter Weather Center.

Gowrie Group, a prominent independent insurance agency, is excited to announce the expansion of their established equine insurance practice through the addition of Holly Griffin. Holly brings to Gowrie Group her long time equine and farm clients, along with decades of equine experience and expertise. In her new role, Holly will work with Gowrie’s equine team to advise her current clients and further build Gowrie’s equine segment. Gowrie Group’s equine programs provide protection for owners, horses, farms, and ranches. These premier equine insurance products and services are accessed from the industry’s top rated carriers. Read more >>