When Blodgett Garden Center decided to transition its grind and mix feed mill business into a garden center facility in 2009, they asked Hortica to help provide a comprehensive insurance coverage plan to meet the needs of their changing business. In the fall of 2010, that plan was tested.

During the remodeling of a 60-year-old retail facility and office building, falling hot embers sparked a fire. In just a few hours, little was left of nearly 4,500 square feet of interior space. While Blodgett’s outdoor space was unaffected, everything else—including a large portion of the inventory—had gone up in smoke.

Re-positioning for growth after the fire Hortica® helps Blodgett deal with disaster and prepare for the future

BLODGETT GARDEN CENTER CASE STUDY

“ Insurance is something you don’t think about until you need it. Our Hortica rep helped us to settle the claim quickly so we could move forward and begin building for our future.”

— Lauri Latsch, owner Blodgett Garden Center

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Hortica’s unparalleled experience in the horticultural industry gives us the knowledge and insight to develop creative custom solutions. We provide you:

UNPARALLELED SERVICE.

You can count on us to listen, respond, and stand by you in good times and bad.

UNMATCHED EXPERIENCE.

We understand the unique needs of horticultural businesses—letting us offer you tailored products and services.

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK.

Our decisions are made with your future in mind, giving you peace of mind knowing you’re prepared.

THE HORTICA SOLUTIONThat night after the fire, Hortica was there to help. Our agent began assessing the damage and developing a plan to move forward. The next morning, a claims adjuster provided greenhouse contractor options for the rebuild and recommended the use of a security company to keep the property safe during the interim.

Because Hortica responded quickly, less than a month later, an onsite building was converted into a temporary store—keeping Blodgett’s business up and running during the crucial winter sales months. And, thanks to a quick claims process, just eight months after the fire, Blodgett officially reopened its brighter, more customer-friendly and lower maintenance retail facility.

“ I always felt like our project and situation was important to our Hortica rep. He helped us to not only rebuild quickly after the fire, but also to determine how we could better position ourselves for the future.”

— Lauri Latsch, owner Blodgett Garden Center

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ABOUT HORTICA ®

Since 1887, Hortica, a brand of the Sentry Insurance Group, has helped protect horticultural businesses across the United States. Our goal is to guide and provide insurance solutions for greenhouse growers, nurseries, garden centers, retail florists, wholesale floral distributors, interior plantscapers, and lawn care professionals. As a part of Sentry, one of the largest and most financially secure mutual insurance companies in the nation, we provide our policyholders peace of mind and the assurance that we’ll be there when something happens. And we can be there for you.

Hortica® property and casualty coverages are underwritten, and loss control services are provided, by Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company and Florists’ Insurance Company, 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.