John K. Smith, President & CEO With the nation grappling with COVID-19, we find ourselves in difficult times. Our economy is in upheaval. All of us are practicing, to one extent or another, social distancing. Some areas of the country are in quarantine, lockdown, shelter in place, or whatever your state or local authorities are... [Read More]

In this edition, you may notice a new and improved graphic of The Dovetail. It came to our attention that the joint depicted was not, in fact, an accurate dovetail joint! We understand that precision and attention to detail is critical. The dovetail is considered one of the strongest joints, but a joint like the... [Read More]

Change and evolution are critical to the survival of any business. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a reminder that while some change is incremental, other changes must happen overnight. In just days and weeks, many businesses have been forced to transform their business plans in order to keep their employees and customers safe while still... [Read More]

John K. Smith, President & CEO Welcome to 2020, the 125th anniversary year for Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual. After a difficult 2018, we are pleased to announce that our results rebounded very strongly in 2019 from just about every financial or non-financial angle. We knew that, in 2019, it was simply critical that we execute the... [Read More]

Over the years, the sawmill, pallet, and primary manufacturing industries have suffered significant losses. Sometimes even the best risk management does not mitigate a fortuitous loss. As an insurance company, we have seen our insureds suffer devastating losses that have had long-lasting impacts on their businesses, employees, communities, and even their own families. These losses... [Read More]

I get this question from both prospective insureds that want to do business with us, as well as from brokers who are attempting to identify a marketplace for their clients. While we have list of the typical types of business we pursue and write (see https://www.plmins.com/products-services/#who-we-protect), I think recent changes in the wood niche, with more... [Read More]