Lee Enterprises Forms Strategic Alliance With The IMA Financial Group, Inc.

May 3, 2011 - PRLog -- Biodiesel consulting group, Lee Enterprises Consulting of Little Rock, Ark., is pleased to announce the formation of a strategic alliance with nationally known specialty insurance broker The IMA Financial Group.  IMA has assigned Beau Hudson and David B. McKinney of Wichita, Kansas to work with Lee Enterprises Consulting in serving clients’ insurance needs.  Hudson is a Business Development professional specializing in renewable energy.  McKinney pairs with prospects and clients in gathering specific information and proposing necessary coverages, working with insurance companies to negotiate most favorable terms, conditions, and pricing, as well as servicing clients following coverage is placement.  

“We are the world’s largest biodiesel consulting firm, so we naturally get a quite a number of inquiries with respect to insurance,” said Wayne Lee, principal owner of Lee Enterprises Consulting.  “IMA is a company that is well respected in the industry and insures quite a few alternative fuels plants already” he notes, “and Beau and Dave in the Wichita office know the intricacies of insuring biodiesel operations”.  Lee explains that his company’s strategic alliances are all chosen based on their knowledge, reputation and success in serving the biodiesel industry.  “This really meets a need for us.  We could not be happier to have Dave, Beau and the IMA Financial Group as our newest alliance,” says Lee.  

According to McKinney, “there are nuances in coverage that are important to understand.  We like to take the time to be sure the owner understands those nuances, provide them with solutions, and then let them make their own business decisions”.   Many business owners “believe all insurance is created equal and it certainly is not” says McKinney.  “It can’t be looked at as a commodity” he says.  “It is important to understand the differences in coverages, and imperative that an insurance broker understands the process and technicalities of this industry.”

Hudson believes that business owners in the biodiesel industry will find it necessary to tap many potential resource groups to solve challenges in development and production.  “We feel confident that Lee Enterprises Consulting provides one point of contact for most of those consulting needs, and this benefits our prospects and clients immensely.”

ABOUT IMA:  IMA is a regional insurance brokerage firm with offices in Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, and Wichita. Currently the 11th largest privately held brokerage in the U.S., IMA is an employee owned organization that prides itself on industry specialization, innovation and client retention.  Beau Hudson is Renewable Energy Business Development Manager.  David B. McKinney is both an insurance professional holding designations of CIC, CRM, CPCU, AMIM, and ALCM, as well as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP).  He is on the facualty of Certified Risk Managers International.  David has been with the IMA Biofuels Practice Group since its inception in 2002.  IMA Financial Group, 8200 E. 32nd Street North, Wichita, KS, 67226, 800-333-8913.  www.imacorp.com

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ABOUT LEE ENTERPRISES CONSULTING: Lee Enterprises is a biodiesel consulting firm specializing in project oversight & management, feasibility studies, grants, business plans, and assistance with planning, market analysis, site evaluation, feedstock selection and procurement, process technology, evaluation, offtake distribution, RINs, financing, capital budgeting, cold soak, filtration, personnel, and contract negotiations (for feedstock, off-take, transportation, construction, site purchase/lease, and plant management). The group also owns National Business Brokerage, Inc., a full service business brokerage firm specializing in the buying and selling of biodiesel plants. Lee Enterprises, 1503 East Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, AR 72120. (501) 833-8511. www.lee-enterprises.com.