Allwest Insurance has a deeply rooted history of delivering a high level of client service. It’s the foundation that Allwest has built upon. Originally founded nearly half a century ago, the company first built its outstanding reputation by providing onsite services and delivering on the auto insurance needs of car dealerships on Vancouver’s North Shore.
The original founder was Bill Verlaan, a local entrepreneur, who prided himself and his company on consistently meeting and exceeding customer expectations. With this level of commitment to service excellence, the family-run business grew to gain the trust of its customers—particularly its high-net-worth clientele across West Vancouver.
In the 80’s Paul & Devina Zalesky joined the company, eventually acquiring it in 1993.
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Together from their start, they envisioned a company that would provide concierge service throughout many of the dealerships across the North Shore, Vancouver and the Fraser Valley while continually enhancing Allwest’s reputation for delivering exceptional service.
Over the years, Allwest became British Columbia‘s premier auto insurance provider, building its reputation by offering personalized insurance needs to customers of leasing programs as well as from local high-end auto dealerships.
Throughout this time, the local insurance brokerage continued to develop their expertise in home insurance and commercial insurance products for small and medium size businesses.
With Allwest’s continued growth and success over the last five decades and its expansion to six offices across the Lower Mainland, from North Vancouver to Langley, the growing local brokerage attracted the attention of Navacord, one Canada’s top four commercial insurance brokerages.
Navacord, based in Toronto, Ontario, is a Canadian leader in group insurance and risk management solutions. It was created when industry leaders Jones Delauriers Inc. and Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers joined forces to start a brokerage with a unique ownership model and value proposition.
Originally created when “two like-minded insurance brokers came together to create the Great Canadian Insurance Brokerage,” Navacord is now strategically building a broker partner network across Canada, carefully targeting smaller, successful insurance brokers that demonstrate strong leadership and share niche sector knowledge.
Navacord partners with them and offers national strength together with access to underwriting options that the small brokerages traditionally would not be able to acquire on their own.
This ultimately delivers an unparalleled level of service while still honouring and maintaining the high level of personal attention that the smaller brokerage’s local touch can provide.
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In May 2021 Navacord announced its acquisition of Allwest Insurance Services, expanding their footprint in British Columbia for the first time. At the time of the announcement, Navacord’s Chief Executive Chairman, T. Marshall Sadd, said,
“We’re excited to welcome the Allwest team and to expand on the synergies that will exist with our other broker partners across the province. Allwest’s solution-oriented focus on client delivery and service, eye on growth and deep local relationships make them an ideal addition to Navacord.” For Allwest, the newly formed partnership was a great opportunity to expand its product and service offerings.
“Navacord provides an ideal platform for the development of our team, clients, and business. They share our vision and provide a collaborative model that enhances what we’ve built within our market while providing the resources to go even further,” said James Beaulieu, Chief Operating Officer, Allwest Insurance. Joining with Navacord’s allows Allwest to deliver enhanced product and service offerings that range from personal and commercial insurance to surety, employee benefits and retirement consulting.
Navacord leverages its national strength, resources and expansive international network to support the insurance needs of Canadians in local markets. Allwest was not Navacord’s first partner in British Columbia as they already had Waypoint Insurance, a commercial, home and auto insurance broker headquartered in Courtenay, as part of the family. This relationship between Allwest and Waypoint allows all of their client’s access to more locations across the province as well as specifically designed home and commercial insurance products and programs that support better coverage and pricing for their clients.
Couple these resources with Navacord’s personal, group and employee benefits partners in BC, Arbutus Financial and Dehoney Financial Group, and Allwest clients have access to all insurance, financial and wealth management products and services under one umbrella.
By partnering with Navacord, Allwest now have the resources to deliver more comprehensive value to their clients and expand further with the resources to serve new business opportunities. Being a Navacord business partner will ultimately drive and support a long-term strategic vision, while never losing sight of the Allwest Insurance founding commitment to personal customer service.
It’s what Allwest is known for, after all.
“This ultimately delivers an unparalleled level of service while still honouring and maintaining the high level of personal attention that the smaller brokerage’s local touch can provide.”
