Testimonials

CMAC Construction

My husband and I own CMAC Construction in South Louisiana. For the past ten years, we have been building million-dollar-plus homes for clients. During one particular construction project, the client kept adding to the original specifications, which is not uncommon. Being honest and responsible builders, we had a solid contract and made sure any additional costs were approved by the client via documented change orders. We were about seventy-five percent completed with the project and they dismissed us from the job for unwarranted reasons, owing our company approximately $10,000. Rather than spend the time fighting with them, we wrote it off as uncollectable debt. Three years later, right before the statute of limitations ran out, they sued us for a variety of unreasonable complaints ranging from substandard work and overcharging to emotional distress. Needless to say, we were blindsided by this ruthless, unwarranted act. It also did not help that this was all happening at the height of the housing crisis when we, like many other builders, were holding on to the business by the skin of our teeth. I was also two weeks away from delivering our third child.

Luckily, we had an indemnity agreement issued by the Louisiana Home Builders Association General Liability Trust (LHBAGLT). Jimmy Gremillion, our agent, was amazing. Jimmy sat on the phone with me when I was bawling. He knew what kind of people we were and what kind of business we ran. He calmed me down and explained the exact steps we would take to fight this. LHBAGLT provided us an experienced legal team that was very helpful and very compassionate to what we were going through. They came to our office and asked hundreds of questions, and helped us put together a solid defense against a case they ultimately called meritless. In the end, the couple realized they had no ground to stand upon and dropped the lawsuit. When someone threatens your family and tries to take everything you have, it’s pretty intimidating. I shudder to think what could have happened without the support of Louisiana Home Builders Association’s General Liability Trust.”

Lisa McDaniel, CMAC Construction





  

Message from Randy Noel


Ivy Construction

“I’m the executive manager for Ivy Construction, a residential and commercial contractor that’s built around 500 homes in Baton Rouge since we were founded in 2000. I signed up with LHBA GL Trust when it was first formed. I was interested and I thought, ‘They’ve got to be able to do it better than the insurance companies.’ My experience with insurance companies was a nightmare, especially the audit process, which was horrendous. My association with the Trust has worked out well and I’m very satisfied with the whole program. Their team is easy to work with, and the audits are smooth and don’t interfere with the business. One of the most pleasant surprises is the dividend distribution. I have received $128,999 in dividend distributions as of 2015. They (dividend distributions) started out smaller, but as more members have joined, they have increased. I received $20,000 last year, which goes a long way to helping hold down our costs so we can be competitive.”

Dennis Carlin, Ivy Construction


Big River Construction & Remodeling
LHBA GL Trust has provided indemnity liability coverage to Big River Construction & Remodeling Co. since its inception. Since we do both residential and commercial projects, we appreciate the flexibility of the Trust in working with us to provide coverage for all areas of our business. We really appreciate not having to shop for a separate general liability carrier based on different projects, which saves time and money. Since some of our projects are on a cost plus basis, we ultimately are able to pass these savings along to our clients. The Trust’s rates are also very competitive. Overall, it is nice to deal with local people who are very responsive to our needs and who return our phone calls promptly.

Frank McArdle, Big River Construction & Remodeling Co., Inc.
Site Produced by: The Day Group & Odyssey