As a horticultural business owner, you most likely serve a niche audience. Own a garden center? You probably cater to gardeners and landscapers. A flower shop? It’s all about event planners and special occasions. And nurseries fulfill seasonal and in-demand specialty stock orders. You know your customers and what they need from you to succeed in their businesses or support their passions.
The same theory applies to insurance. A niche insurance provider knows its customers and how to help protect them.
Unlike generalist insurance providers who market to the masses, niche providers focus on specific markets—which means they understand the unique operations and exposures within that market. Many niche providers immerse themselves in the industry, gaining additional certifications and a network of industry affiliations. In short, your industry is their specialty.
Hortica®, a brand of the Sentry Insurance Group, is a niche insurance provider. Founded in 1887, we’re widely recognized within the horticultural and floral industries and recently celebrated 135 years in business. Through our decades of service, our teams have gained a deep understanding of the industry and can knowledgeably provide businesses like yours—from small floral shops to large greenhouse operations—with customized risk management and insurance solutions.
By no means does serving a targeted market segment translate into being a smaller insurance company. Rather, being a trusted resource throughout the industry is an invaluable advantage, as in our case:
Having a trusted advisor who specializes in your industry can help minimize your out-of-pocket expenses and recovery time following a claim.
Whether it’s property damage to your greenhouse from a storm, a workers’ compensation claim for a slip or fall, or a liability issue from a product injury off site, our claims professionals are ready to help assess the incident and get your claim resolved efficiently and fairly. And because they’ve visited and inspected operations like yours across the country, they know what it takes to help rebuild if your business experiences a disaster.
Some common claim examples include:
Risk exposures are different for every industry, even every business. Experiencing an uninsured loss could potentially limit production or shut down your operations. Niche insurers have the ability to lean into customized loss control programs that address risks unique to your operations, such as insects, pests, and plant disease.
To that point, our team of safety specialists brings a wealth of industry-specific experience, loss control resources, and safety knowledge with customized programs including:
Niche insurance providers are focused on their target market and can underwrite programs that address specific exposures and liabilities. Insurers who cover a range of industries may not have the dedicated time or expertise to go beyond providing the required standard coverages.
The following are examples of coverage customizations available with niche providers like Hortica:
With Hortica, you can customize your commercial property insurance based on specific risk exposures you face—whether it’s from fire, storm damage, theft, or equipment breakdowns. If a storm knocks out a ceiling panel and causes water damage and inventory loss, your property insurance can help cover the damage to your structure.
Depending on your policy, your coverages could apply to the equipment contained within your structures—including boilers, generators, coolers, benching systems, irrigation equipment, heat retention curtain systems, and environmental control computers. It can even help protect your future income if you can’t plant your next crop due to damage.
A general liability insurance policy covers losses to non-employees caused by your services, business operations, or employees. For example, if you mistakenly label an apple tree as a pear tree and your customer spends money and time to grow it—later realizing it’s not the tree they thought they purchased—you can be held liable for the financial expenses and the time spent growing the wrong tree. Recognizing what can affect your bottom line can help us work with you more efficiently to protect it.
Commercial auto insurance can help cover you if you or your employees are involved in an auto accident while driving for business purposes. Delivering flowers, hauling sod, transporting equipment—there are many reasons why you need to send your employees out on the road. All of them require the proper protection and we’ll work with you to help you identify the coverages that make sense for your business.
There's always at least some level of risk when workers use implements and tools, work with soil and water, or lift heavy or bulky plants or supplies. Workers’ compensation insurance can help protect you against liability from work-related accidents, including injuries, illnesses, disability diagnoses, and even death of an employee. It also helps your employees with medical expenses, wage replacement, and other covered benefits after illness or injury.
When you’re comparing insurance companies for your business, consider the bottom-line benefits of a niche insurance provider. Choose an insurer who knows your industry and understands your business niche. Are they experts within your industry? Will they be able to understand your risk exposures? How effective are they at managing claims in your field of work?
For the sake of your employees, customers, and bottom line, choose an insurer that can deliver customized coverages and safety services to help you protect your ever-changing horticultural business.
Learn more about why Hortica may be the niche insurance brand that makes the most sense for your horticultural business. You can also request a quote, email us, or give us a call at 800-541-5082 if you’d like to speak with one of our representatives.
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*Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company and Florists’ Insurance Service, Inc., and its affiliates are members of the Sentry Insurance Group. The Sentry Insurance Group is one of the largest and most financially secure mutual insurance groups in the United States, holding an AM Best Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (superior), current as of June 2022.
Hortica® property and casualty coverages are underwritten, and loss control services are provided, by Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company, Florists’ Insurance Service, Inc., Edwardsville, IL, or affiliated members of the Sentry Insurance Group. For more information, visit hortica.com. Policies, coverages, benefits, and discounts are not available in all states. See policy for complete coverage details.
The general information contained in this article is for informational or entertainment purposes only. The information in this article is provided “AS-IS” WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES of any kind. Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates (Companies) do not accept any responsibility related to the content or accuracy of the information contained in this article. The information contained in this article should not be mistaken for professional or legal advice. Any use of this article or any third-party website linked to this article is at the risk of the user. THE COMPANIES ARE NOT LIABLE TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS ARTICLE OR ANY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITE LINKED TO THIS ARTICLE. The views and opinions contained in third-party websites referenced in this article are the views and opinions of third-party authors and may not represent the opinions or policies of the Companies.
