Beyond Insurance: Why We’re Committed to Wood Products Associations

We don’t just specialize in forest products insurance—we live and breathe the forest products industry. As our Risk Assessment and Claims Director of Engineering Corey Bounds often says, “We have sawdust in our veins!”

As such, our involvement with wood products associations goes far beyond traditional business networking. It’s about forging genuine connections, staying ahead of twists and turns in the industry, and supporting the forest products community as a whole.

In this post, we’ll hear directly from our team about why these relationships are so crucial to our mission and how they help us go beyond insurance to form true partnerships.

C. Preston Herrington, III, CEO

I love this industry and the people it has allowed me to work alongside: family-oriented businesses, entrepreneurs, and extraordinarily hard workers who genuinely care about what they do.

The forest products industry is a deeply meaningful space that provides the world with so much. For example, not only does it supply the entire housing industry, it powers many environmental movements.

Andrew Belcher, Underwriting Division Lead

Over the years, I have been to many events held by each of these fine associations. All are unique in their own way, but all are very important for the forest products industry. Being on the ground floor with industry owners, manufacturers, representatives, friends, and professionals helps us keep our finger on the pulse within each industry.

Hearing their successes, understanding their challenges, and seeing their innovation allows us to learn, adapt, and better serve the industry. It is our commitment and duty to the space to be involved and give back to the industry that we are so passionate about. I’m thankful for each organization for continuing to put on these great events so we all have a place to connect!

Woody Stanchina, Production Underwriter, Structured Risk

From my standpoint, association support is about the most important thing that we do as a company. Attending and participating in these associations is so meaningful. We are able to support the industry that we serve and catch up with current, former, and future customers multiple times a year. As an intermediary who doesn’t work directly with our customers, it is meaningful to build these relationships with our insureds.

This is a tough industry, and the markets haven’t been great both on the lumber side and on the insurance side the last number of years. Attending these trade shows helps us to understand what challenges and opportunities the industry is facing in many different facets. From new regulations looking to be imposed and impacts they will have on the business as a whole to just simply the price of lumber in different pockets to personal conversations with the guys out there doing the work every day, we gain valuable insight from these shows.

We are not just a vendor providing a product or service to these guys; their success is our success, and their failures are our failures as well. We take our responsibility to the industry very seriously, and we very much appreciate being able to sponsor these trade shows in a big way. The more we go, the more we feel like a part of the family in the various lumber communities where we operate.

Corey Bounds, Risk Assessment and Claims Director of Engineering

Our involvement with associations is incredibly important to our team. Not only do we help these associations drive the industry forward, we get the opportunity to build relationships within the industry on a deeper level.

We aren’t your typical insurance company. We really do see ourselves as an extension of these businesses—as true partners and friends. When we sponsor and attend conferences and expos, we enjoy spending time with people that understand the industry and stay connected. We have direct conversations with decision makers across the industry. We also get to provide information to business owners to help them make informed decisions.

Tzachi Lozano, Associate Production Underwriter

We like to be part of these associations to pull back the curtain. In many cases, it is unusual to be able to speak to your insurance underwriters in person. It is easy for businesses to see us as just an insurance company, and it would be simple for a company like ours to see businesses as just the information provided.

But at the end of the day, Continental Underwriters knows they’re real people with real-life concerns; meeting in person allows both sides to demystify the whole insurance process.

Olivia Wood, CPCU, AINS, AIS, Underwriting Analyst Team Lead, Structured Risk

When I’ve attended trade shows, it’s felt like they bridge the gap between insured, broker, and our team like no conference call ever could. They provide a venue for us to connect and hear the real sticking points for our partners—what’s working and what’s not—so we can start collaborating on creating solutions for the customer.

Beyond the shop-talk, we’re also able to build personal relationships with insureds and brokers alike, which as we all know, creates the kind of business partnership that lasts through any market cycle, economy, or source of competition.

Melissa Berry, Marketing Director

Each association represents an incredible community of dedicated individuals. Having the opportunity to meet these people and engage in genuine conversations with those who work tirelessly every day is a true honor.

We walk away from every event with new insights—not just from networking or seeking new business, but from really listening to the members who are the backbone of this industry. Hearing their stories, learning about their challenges, and understanding how Continental Underwriters can offer meaningful support is what matters most to us. Many of these businesses have been passed down through generations, and their unwavering commitment to their work is nothing short of inspiring.

These associations and their members are the heart and soul of the forest products industry. Their efforts form the foundation of everything we do, from the materials that build our homes to the sustainable practices that protect our environment. We are deeply committed to standing beside them, helping where we can, and celebrating their role in shaping both the future of our industry and the world around us.