Many in the insurance industry have long pondered what happened to the flourishing Palmer & Cay, which was bought out in 2005 by Wachovia. Based in Savannah, Georgia, Palmer & Cay was known as a pinnacle of good leadership and success for 135 years. Author Ron Collins once enjoyed working for the company. Leadership was focused on pleasing clients and supporting employees rather than making a profit by any means necessary. They were much smaller than larger national insurance firms, but those working at Palmer & Cay had strong values and work ethic that made all the difference.
When outside leadership and ill-equipped employees are brought into the company, everything changes. John Cay’s frugal and sensible nature kept the business afloat; the recklessness of Palmer & Cay’s new leadership destroyed it. As the story progresses, you’ll discover each grave mistake while sympathizing with the anxieties of Ron as the company falls deeper into disarray. Ron doesn’t spare any details as he seeks to use this experience to highlight major management mistakes and give valuable advice on how other businesses can avoid following the same path as Palmer & Cay.