By Rochelle Karina

In 1977, George Moran opened the doors to his business, Moran Insurance. Thirty five years later, that business is still going strong, led by the team of Marc Dorman and Matt Lehmann. The two purchased the business in 2010 and chose to keep the Moran name and location.

“When we bought the agency, we could have moved it,” Dorman, the company president, explained. “But there is a long-standing tradition here of providing risk management service to local community. Matt grew up here in Severna Park, his family is from here. It’s important to keep our roots here in the local community we’ve served so long.”

Dorman has lived here for over 15 years and had been with Moran Insurance for eight years prior to purchasing the company with Lehmann. “The Moran brand was so strong; we felt it in the best interest to remain in this community. We are a community-oriented business,” shared Dorman. Lehmann had also been with Moran prior to the purchase.

Community is a strong focus for Dorman. He points out that the 19 employees at Moran are given time off to participate in charitable events. The company has been a sponsor of the Providence Center’s Moran Classic Golf Tournament for the last 20 years. They have also worked with Bosom Buddies, the YWCA, Opportunity Builders, Inc., and last year, the entire agency helped build a house for Habitat for Humanity.

Giving back to their community is part of the Moran mission. Last quarter, the company sponsored a campaign on Facebook to donate money to Hospice of the Chesapeake based on the number of “likes” received on their page. The check was cut for $500. The current campaign will benefit the Providence Center and the $1,000 check will go out when Moran reaches 1,000 “likes” on Facebook.

“We will always be a hometown agency,” continues Dorman. “We will never be so big that folks will only be a number. We want to offer the personal time and attention our clients deserve.”

The company initiated a monthly newsletter last year to keep their clients up to date and informed. “For us, it’s about educating the client on coverage and needs,” concluded Dorman. “We make sure that we always meet or exceed expectations. We take pride in our client retention; it’s how we measure our success. Our retention rate is over 94 percent, which is huge in our industry. We have a great team, and we are 100 percent responsible to our clients. We listen to their needs and connect them to the right solutions.”

Ultimately, it comes down to community. “We vow to become more involved in our community and to continue to give back,” Doran explains.

To learn more about Moran Insurance, go to their website at www.moraninsurance.com, or check out their Facebook page or Twitter feed.