Company News
JALLAD SISTERS NAMED TRAILBLAZERS
Accredited Surety and Casualty Among Three Companies Honored by
Wells Fargo and the National Association of Women Business Owners
June 12, 2006
Winter Park, Fla. — Deborah and Sharon Jallad, owners of Winter Park-based Accredited Surety and Casualty Company, have received a national award for their successful “trailblazing” efforts to carve out a solid business niche in the bail and non-contract commercial surety industry. Accredited, a property and casualty insurance company specializing in underwriting surety bonds, is one of three recipients of this year’s “Trailblazer Award,” presented by Wells Fargo and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Nominees nationwide were evaluated based on their business performance, innovation, growth and community service.
Since the sisters took over the family business in 1993, Accredited has grown from an eight-state, mono-line insurance company to a national firm with multiple product lines. Revenues have increased 270% in slightly more than a decade.
“We are honored to be recognized as ‘Trailblazers’,” said Deborah Jallad, president of Accredited. “When Sharon and I took the reins of Accredited in 1993, we joined the very small number of women who own and operate a property and casualty insurance company. It’s been challenging, but gratifying, to compete in what has primarily been a male-dominated industry.”
In addition to the Jallads, Shelly Sun, who owns Chicago-based Bright Star Health Care, and Eileen Unger, owner of New Jersey-based Emergency Preparedness Partnerships were also recognized for their trailblazing spirit.
“Talent and passion are at the core of all women business owners and this award recognizes and honors those attributes,” said Joy Ott, regional president for Wells Fargo Bank in Montana and national spokesperson for its Women’s Business Services program. “This year’s winners are truly inspirational — we applaud them and thank them for continuing to inspire the entrepreneur in all of us.”
The Trailblazer awards were presented at NAWBO’s annual Women Business Conference in San Francisco. Accredited executive vice president Sharon Jallad found the experience to be “inspiring.” “The NAWBO membership is made up of so many dynamic and successful women," she said. "I truly appreciate the recognition and commend Wells Fargo for their outstanding commitment and support to women-owned businesses."
In addition to receiving the “Trailblazer Award,” each winner received $5,000 to donate to the non-profit organization of her choice.
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Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, Accredited Surety and Casualty Company is an insurance company specializing in the underwriting of bail bonds and non-contract commercial surety bonds. The company has earned an “A” rating from A.M. Best for excellence. Accredited is licensed in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, and is the largest female-owned company in Central Florida.
Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial company with $492 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance to more than 23 million customers from more than 6,200 stores and the Internet (www.wellsfargo.com). Providing financial products and services to more than one million businesses with annual sales up to $20 million in all 50 states, Puerto Rica and Canada, Wells Fargo is the #1 lender to small businesses in the United States in total dollar volume according to the most recent CRA data (2004.) Since 1995, Wells Fargo has loaned more than $31 billion to women and diverse business owners. For more information, please visit www.wellsfargo.com/biz.
Founded in 1975, NAWBO represents the interest of women entrepreneurs and business owners in all industries. The organization’s mission is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its members and promote economic development; to create innovative and effective change in the business culture; to build strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations; and to transform public policy and influence opinion makers. Visit www.nawbo.org for more information. |
