Orr & Associates opens new office in King City

July 27, 2016 · 0 Comments

Ken Orr is looking forward to greeting residents at his company’s open house at their new King City location.

By Mark Pavilons
King Township is blessed with some family owned businesses that have served the community for decades.
One local business has been part of the very fabric of King City for more than 100 years!
In 1912 Victor A. Hall started selling insurance in King City through a contract with the Waterloo Insurance Company. In 1923 Victor’s son, Bruce, joined the company to make the agency Victor A. Hall & Son Insurance Agency.
The agency flourished by providing outstanding service to the community and surrounding areas. The business was sold several times. In 1977 the agency was sold to Gordon Orr, at which time Gordon changed the name to Orr & Dew Insurance Brokers Ltd. In 1992, Gord’s son Ken became the owner of Orr & Dew. Keith Wilson, a past-president of the Insurance Brokers Association of Saskatchewan, moved to Ontario in 2006 to become co-owner of the brokerage.
Orr & Associates Insurance Brokers will open its new retail space in the King’s Ridge Marketplace Aug. 3 in a low-key community affair. It will be an occasion for friends to gather and celebrate yet another of Orr’s milestones. The open house will run that day from 1 to 7 p.m.
Ken Orr noted they wanted to increase their visibility in a retail space, so they chose the ever-popular King’s Ridge Marketplace. They’ve actually been in King City since 1912 and they felt more modern office space would better serve their clients.
Being born and raised in King, Orr loves his community and the great group of volunteers. Ken has been part of the King City Lions Club for the better part of 40 years. He urges residents to consider getting involved in some way in their communities.
And that figures into his business. He helps people find the right product that meets their needs.
Insurance coverage has become a bit more complicated these days, so it’s important for the broker to filter through the sea of products and match the customer with the perfect fit. Orr and his staff, some of whom have been with him for decades, are pros at it.
Orr put it simply – insurance is the concept of spreading the risk of the few among the many.
The biggest single issue and source of property claims today is water damage. These outnumber fires by a large margin.
Insurance providers are broadening their coverage and Orr is adamant that people have the proper amount of coverage and are insured for that unthinkable disaster.
A policy is really an unexpected loss policy so it’s important that you have enough. Reconstruction costs have risen dramatically, so total rebuilds will be costly. More is better.
Regarding auto insurance, Orr said people have to understand their accident benefits. Limits have changed and you have to be aware of what you have.
Some people believe cars are routinely written off when in an accident, but Orr said insurance companies don’t want scraps. They want to make the customer happy and arrive at a solution.
However, the cost of replacement parts, body work, etc. often surpass the value of the vehicle. When airbags are deployed in an accident, the cost of replacing one is upwards of $2,500.
He pointed out that one customer’s vehicle suffered hail damage in a recent storm and this resulted in “a ton of damage.”
King Township is rated well overall and rates here are considered reasonable.
Orr did point out that ratings have become more variable and a car’s safety figures prominently in its rating, and therefore the cost of the policy. Some 2016 models, being much safer than older vehicles, actually cost less to insure.
The next big challenge facing the entire industry will be driverless vehicles.
Orr loves talking with his customers and making sure they’re comfortable with their coverage. Some of his clients have been with him from the very beginning.
Meet the Orr & Associates family at their upcoming open house and see for yourself, what has kept them in business all these years.
For more, visit www.orrandassociates.ca or call 1-866-521-5926.