LUBA Workers’ Comp: Mutual trust and loyalty are keys to success
Top Executives: Kelli Bondy Troutman, Executive Vice President; David Bondy, Founder and Chief Executive Officer; Trent Bondy, Executive Vice President; and Steve Werner, Chief Financial Officer.
During the 1980s, due to a number of factors, the Louisiana’s Workers’ Compensation system declined and began to spiral downward to a point where most of the large national insurance companies ceased to voluntarily offer coverage to thousands of Louisiana’s employers. This crisis became the genesis of the idea to create an insurance provider dedicated to genuinely considering the viewpoint of policyholders and their injured workers.
“We believed that this customer-centric approach would serve clients in such a way that their satisfaction would allow our company to grow and prosper,” says David Bondy, Founder and CEO. “Now, 35 years later, I am convinced that this mutual trust and loyalty is the biggest single reason for LUBA’s success. For me, LUBA’s journey has been a blessing to watch. We have grown dramatically but our employees still treat each other like family, and our clients and vendors feel it too.”
LUBA is proving that there is still room for home grown, multi-generational companies to survive and thrive. “Our current leadership team has expanded us into numerous states across the country,” says David. “They, and each of our employees, agree that there are many years of success and dependability ahead of us.”
35 Years and Growing
At LUBA, growth has always been rooted in service and relationships. Answering the phone when customers call, providing knowledgeable safety professionals, and delivering compassionate, responsive claims handling are just a few of the ways the company works to create a positive experience for its policyholders and agents.
“We believe that experience is the foundation for lasting relationships,” says Executive Vice President Trent Bondy. “When people know they can rely on you, trust naturally follows. Over the past 35 years, those relationships with our agents and policyholders have allowed us to grow alongside the businesses we serve. Our team takes pride in being accessible, knowledgeable, and genuinely committed to helping our clients succeed, and that dedication continues to drive LUBA forward.”
That Personal Touch
What makes LUBA different comes down to focus and people, according to Chief Financial Officer Steve Werner.
“We’re a workers’ compensation company, and that’s all we do,” he says. “Because we’re not spread across a dozen lines of insurance, we’re able to put our full attention into understanding workers’ comp inside and out and doing it well for the employers and workers who depend on us.”
Another big difference is the company culture. “We hear it all the time from our customers, agents, and even competitors that LUBA just feels different,” says Steve. “That’s because we put a lot of emphasis on relationships and personal service. Our team is empowered to pick up the phone, solve problems, and do what’s right, rather than pushing things through a system. It’s not about transactions for us; it’s about long-term partnerships, and that mindset shows up in how we serve our policyholders every day.”
The Road Ahead
Looking ahead, LUBA’s focus will remain where it has always been…on people, says Kelli Bondy Troutman, Executive Vice President.
“Continued growth for LUBA starts with staying committed to the independent agents and policyholders who trust us and to the coworkers who support one another every day,” she says. “We believe that great service begins internally, and when our team feels valued, respected, and supported, that naturally extends to the clients we serve.”
LUBA is also embracing technology in ways that strengthen its promise of “Genuine Dependability.”
“By using tools that improve communication and streamline internal processes, we’re freeing our team to spend more time doing what they do best which is providing superior customer service,” Kelli says. “For us that means being accessible, responsive, and willing to go the extra mile for our clients. Ultimately, our growth will continue to come from what has always set us apart, working hard for our agency partners and policyholders and taking care of each other.”
Originally featured in Baton Rouge Business Report’s Annual Report as a part of its Legacy of Success profiles.