Insurance is Just the Start
Lindemann is the nation’s largest chimney service company. It was founded in 1969 by former Fire Captain Gary Lindemann and continues to service Chicago’s North Shore and Northern Suburban Area. The company specializes in chimney re-lining, repair, diagnosing, gas logs, hearth appliances, and masonry. Lindemann Chimney applies its core values based on honesty and integrity to deliver exceptional customer service and an empowering work environment.
Michael Boudart, President of Lindemann, shared with us the value that Launchways has brought to his business over the eight years that we have worked together.
From the beginning, Launchways served as much more than just a benefits broker for Lindemann. For Michael and his team, insurance was just the start of what Launchways does to fuel the business’s success and ease their growing pains.
As a chimney service company with a large fleet of vehicles and extensive field team, business insurance was a top priority for Lindemann and was the origin of the company’s partnership with Launchways. Their employee benefits were just as important and the Launchways team has worked with Lindemann to add value for their team members year after year. As Michael put it,
“Our business is founded on the ideals of empowering our employees and treating our team and customers with honesty and integrity. This means making sure that we take care of our employees and their families. Launchways has gone beyond what we expected from a benefits broker to suggest new ways of helping our employees while saving money along the way.”
One recent addition to the benefits package has been particularly popular with Lindemann’s employees. Just this past year, Launchways implemented a telemedicine solution for Lindemann, which allows their employees to reach doctors online or over the phone and get the prescriptions they need. This solution has made a big difference for the company’s team members, especially those with families. At the same time, Launchways rolled out new benefits administration software that streamlines enrollment and upgraded both dental and vision insurance.
Since they started working with Launchways as their employee benefits and business insurance broker, Lindemann has experienced rapid growth and faced the inevitable growing pains and hard decisions that come with scaling a business. Their growth has required new benefits, HR strategies and policies, more intentional fleet management, and critical business strategy choices.
Throughout this process, Michael has looked to Launchways to provide not only solutions but advice.
“The Launchways team is super responsive. I can use them as a sounding board and get advice on the spur of the moment which has been invaluable. I see the Launchways team as business consultants in many ways and it has been very good for us. I don’t hesitate to pick up the phone if I have a question or I want their advice on a situation that I might find myself in.”
Building A Safer Fleet and Saving Money Along the Way
As Lindemann has grown, so has their fleet which now includes more than 50 vehicles. Managing this expanding fleet has become one of the main challenges that Lindemann and Launchways are working together to address.
One of the issues created by the larger fleet was the rising cost of the company’s auto insurance. Launchways implemented a multi-prong approach based on telematics to decrease these insurance costs while increasing workplace safety and overall fleet expenses.
Sally Resch, Fleet Manager at Lindemann, explained more.
“Launchways has implemented a Fleet 360 vehicle monitoring system at no cost to us. We received upfront discounts from insurers for using the system and expect to qualify for more discounts. The best part is that we are keeping our team members safe when they are out in the field, but the impact on our bottom line is also significant. As the Fleet Manager, the monitoring system makes my job easier and gives me peace of mind.”
Overall, the telematics system has helped Lindemann save 20% on their auto insurance with more potential savings as they continue to use the system. During the same period, Lindemann has seen a 70% decrease in fleet accidents. And the system’s dashboard lets Sally and her team review driving incidents such as speeding and hard-braking to address poor driving habits by employees.
Looking to the Future
Lindemann and Launchways have been working together for eight years. Along the way, Launchways has helped the Lindemann team grow their company and tackle business issues by providing business insurance and employee benefits solutions as well as hands-on consultation. Instead of growing stagnant over the years, the relationship has only deepened and allowed Launchways to provide even greater value for Lindemann and their team.
Having implemented telemedicine, new dental and vision benefits, and fleet telematics, Lindemann is now partnering with Launchways to overhaul their entire HR function. Their team has grown significantly over the years and we look forward to working with them to expand their HR systems and policies to better serve their employees.