To Members of our Network,

I would like to lead off this letter by acknowledging the Authorized Members who supported HMI during a large scale event earlier this year. I am always grateful to all network members who trust the HMI program enough to deploy crews and equipment beyond their local market in support of our clients. It is not common for HMI to deploy crews outside of the summer and fall storm seasons, but we did this year!

As you may know, a major ice storm impacted Tennessee and Mississippi in January. HMI started receiving a high volume of claims that quickly overwhelmed our local resources. In a matter of hours, we had crews heading into the area to start clearing homes. Deploying out of state is never easy, and your willingness to answer the call is a testament to the character of this Network. We processed a high volume of claims and several companies achieved high close rates, making the event a success for all parties concerned. The results, as always, speak for themselves.

I am also happy to report that the Alpine Intel acquisition is already having a positive impact on HMI and our Network. Many of you have already received work from HMI that was directly related to Alpine’s sales efforts. What began last fall as an exciting acquisition full of potential is now becoming a tangible reality, and the momentum is building quickly. 

In the months ahead you can expect to hear about many new clients that our Network will be supporting. Alpine’s current clients are signing up to have access to HMI’s emergency tree removal, invoice review, and consulting services. As many of you already know, Alpine Intel is a leading provider of claim support services to the nation’s leading insurance carriers. The expected growth in the number of tree removal and consulting assignments available to HMI and our Network will not be “incremental.” Alpine will drive a significant aggregation of property claims from the insurance industry to HMI and the green industry professionals we work with.

As you all know, we are rolling out a new technology platform for receiving and managing referrals. The new tech platforms represent a major upgrade to the old RMS and HMI Connects applications. I know that learning a new system isn’t always a simple process, but we are already seeing the benefits of both platforms that will enable us to efficiently process the expected growth in claim volumes.

The most important change you need to be aware of is how new assignments are made and accepted on emergency tree removal claims. All new referrals will be automatically generated and accepted. Each Authorized Member (AM) will have 30 minutes to accept a referral (an initial referral with a 15-minute reminder) before it passes to the next AM in the rotation. Already, almost 60% of new referrals have been accepted by AMs using the automated system. That’s an amazing achievement in just two weeks!

At the same time as you are receiving new offers, homeowners receive a notification that informs them their insurance carrier has assigned the claim to HMI. The notification also includes the name of the member company that will be contacting them next. It’s an immediate reinforcement of the HMI program and the carrier’s desire to have a professional company from our network complete the work. Remember, homeowners will be contacted on every new HMI referral, even during CAT events. This significant improvement in the assignment process will increase customers’ awareness of the program and conversion rates.

LOOKING FORWARD

Significant growth is on the horizon for HMI programs this year, and that is true regardless of weather patterns. That said, if this past winter and spring are any indication, it is going to be a very interesting year ahead. We have included a roundup of expert weather predictions in this edition of the newsletter, and I encourage you to stay current with the latest predictions.

I want to extend my congratulations to these Q1 award winners and express my gratitude to every member of our Network. Your support and dedication to HMI and our clients throughout the past year has been exceptional.

Clearly, HMI's expansion will represent a substantial opportunity for members to grow their businesses. With HMI broadening our footprint in the industry, we are also looking to add members in new markets. If you know of another great company that you feel would be a fit for the HMI program, please reach out directly to Gretchen Piechottka. Gretchen or someone on her team will contact them and go over the many benefits of being part of HMI's Network. 

Thank you, as always, for your continued support for and dedication to the HMI partnership. Stay safe!