Moreton & Company Blog

As part of our centennial celebrations, throughout 2010 we will be posting monthly spotlights on our 12 longest-tenured employees—the people who have the most insights on Moreton & Company’s history.

John Winder is another of Moreton & Company’s Property & Casualty producers.

1. When did you start working for the firm?
   I started in September 1987, when Moreton purchased the Salt Lake office of Fred S. James & Company. Prior to that, I had met with Craig and Ed to discuss the possibility of joining Moreton, which made my transition so much easier.
2. What was the company like when you started?
   It was a lot smaller—we didn’t have a risk management department, loss control services, etc. We were also all in the same building at 649 East South Temple. They later expanded into the building next door. Ed Moreton was CEO.
3. In what ways has the company changed since you started?
   We now offer many specialized services like claims management, worker compensation reviews, loss control, etc. We are more professional in our work with clients and prospects. And, of course, Santa Claus doesn’t come to the Christmas party anymore.
4. What have been some of the highlights of your career here?
   Among the highlights: being able to have a complete career from a new producer to an old(er) producer, developing my professional skills along the way and having some great opportunities to grow and be challenged.
5. What’s been one of the best things about working at Moreton?
   The best thing about Moreton is definitely the people—the association with coworkers and the ability to provide a high level of service to our customers through those associates.
6. Tell us about one of your most memorable experiences with a client.
   During my first year at Moreton, we succeeded in obtaining a Broker of Record letter from a large prospect (who is still a Moreton client). But because this account’s agent was a very close friend of the president—their relationship had existed for over 40 years—the BOR was conditional upon me meeting with this agent and telling him that he was losing this account. I made an appointment and nervously met with the agent, expecting him to throw me out of his office. However, the agent said he had been thinking of retiring and that this account had been a major concern of his. He had very high regard for Moreton and felt that we would do a good job with the account. He thanked me for the courtesy of letting him know that he was losing the account and offered to help in the transition so that everything would work out well for us. I learned a great lesson from this competitor about his high regard for Moreton, taking care of our accounts, and treating our competition with respect.
7. What positions have you held at Moreton?
   Current position: Producer & Senior Vice President
8. What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
   I really enjoy working with all of the employees at Moreton.

We have hit the enviable milestone of 100 years in business!  J.B. Moreton would be proud.  What started out with a school teacher selling notary bonds has turned into a grand, strong, resilient firm serving the risk and insurance needs of our clients on a worldwide basis.

Well done.

Thanks for helping us reach 100, let’s shoot for 100 more.

Susan Stoddard is currently Moreton & Company’s Corporate Secretary, responsible for a little bit of everything—as well as maintaining the IT department’s Agency Management Database.

1. When did you start working for the firm?
   I started with Moreton in December 1975.
2. What was the company like when you started?
   The company was very small—about 21 employees. There weren’t any Account Managers (CSRs). The sales people completed all their own applications by hand and then two of us that typed everything from the handwritten forms. The two of us also answered the telephones.
3. In what ways has the company changed since you started?
   The positions are more specialized now. Technology has obviously changed the way we do business. In 1975, we did not have a computer system so we typed all the invoices (in triplicate) and sent copies to an outside company to enter into a computer system from which we got our month-end reports and key-punch cards for each invoice processed during the month. When a payment check was received from the client, the key-punch card for that invoice was pulled out of the open accounts receivable box and put in the closed A/R box to be processed at the end of the month as being paid. After I had been at Moreton for about a year, we purchased an IBM Selectric typewriter for the person that did the dictation for all of the sales people. Everyone else still had electric typewriters with the movable carriage rather than the Selectric typing ball.
4. What have been some of the highlights of your career here?
   Since the agency has grown, we have moved into new office spaces several times in 1975. When I first started we occupied half of a small building on South Temple. We then expanded in that same building to occupy the full building. Next, we moved next door into a larger two-story building. We then moved some of the employees back into the small one-story building next door. The most exciting project that I was directly involved in was moving all of our employees to a much larger building a block east on South Temple. I got to be involved in designing and decorating the interior on the new office space and coordinated the actual move into the new building.
5. What’s been one of the best things about working at Moreton?
   I have made some great friends at Moreton. The Moreton family is very loyal to their employees, and as a result I have always wanted to do my best at whatever I was asked to do.
6. What positions have you held at Moreton?
   I started as a clerk-typist/receptionist. I then became one of the first CSRs working directly with a sales executive and began really learning about insurance. I was then promoted to be the Operations Supervisor for the Public Entity Dept. In the early ‘80s, I was made the first Office Manager, which included all HR functions as well as ordering all supplies. I also was involved in some accounting functions. As the company grew, my job functions were split between several people, and I moved into Accounting/IT, where I am now the Corporate Secretary.
7. What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
   I like the challenge of writing reports that are requested by various employees. I like figures and detail work and making sure that data is accurate.
8. What is something most people wouldn’t know about you?
   I major in music at college; however, I decided that teaching music for a living took all the fun out of music. Since music is actually very mathematical, I think my music talents have helped me in the accounting work I do. Also, my father was a mortician. I grew up living in an apartment above the mortuary. My first job was cleaning up and vacuuming after a funeral and also answering the telephone at the mortuary if my dad had to run an errand. This is where I got my first experience as a receptionist and taking accurate messages.