When Arthur J. Glatfelter established his independent insurance agency in 1951, he advocated three fundamental principles:

• Serve as the trusted advisor for the insurance needs of clients
• Ensure that clients understand their loss exposures
• Provide service beyond the expectations of clients

These principles exist as the cornerstones of Glatfelter Insurance Group (GIG) to this day.

During his first two decades in business, Art successfully built one of the largest all-lines, full service retail agencies in South Central Pennsylvania. Art had begun to realize that future growth would depend largely on looking beyond traditional markets into areas underserved by the insurance industry.

In 1968, Art discovered that underserved market through a new client – a local volunteer fire department. Since emergency service organizations were largely overlooked by the insurance industry, Art interviewed every fire chief he could in order to gain a solid understanding of their needs. His findings became the foundation of VFIS, the world’s leading provider of insurance, education, training and consulting products and services for emergency service organizations.

The principles upon which Art built his insurance agency remain the foundation of Glatfelter Insurance Group today, and the manner in which he approached the development of VFIS reflects the standard for every Glatfelter-client relationship: We listen to our clients to gain a clear understanding of their unique needs and exposures.

No matter how large we may grow, Glatfelter remains committed to our clients, our associates and the communities we serve.