Please note our office will be closed Friday, March 29th in honor of the Easter holiday. We will reopen at 8:00 am on Monday, April 1st

News & Views: Journey to Cuba

Newsletter – Thursday, February 15, 2018
A while back, I was invited to join a few friends who were planning an ‘educational’ trip to Cuba. Cuba is not an island vacation destination, or a wine country extravaganza, or even a national parks adventure. What it did turn out to be was a deep dive into the wonderful Cuban people and their hospitality. 
 
Maybe it is the allure of a country few Americans have been to in the past 50-plus years or maybe it is the strangeness of traveling to a communist country, or maybe it was Ricki Ricardo’s influence on me when I was just a kid! Whatever it was, Teri and I were excited to make this trip. I will throw in a disclaimer before I go any further; we were not free to travel the country on our own, but we did have a great ‘tour guide’ who really showed us his country in a way we would not have been able to see on our own. 
 
We visited Hemingway’s old stomping grounds, a tobacco farm and small production Cuban cigar operation. Yes, the cars there are really old and really cool. But be careful when you get inside one! They are held together with wire and duct tape. Everywhere we went the images of Castro and Che Guevara loomed large. The Cuban people are very fond of both their national heroes like we’re fond of Washington and Lincoln! The biggest difference though is our revolution is mostly in textbooks and Broadway musicals, while theirs is still a part of their personal history. 
 
Every time I travel abroad I always return thankful for all I enjoy here at home. I suppose that makes me a glass-is-more-than-half-full kind of guy. I love democracy and free markets. I love being a business owner, paying taxes and earning profits! And, I am hopeful that Cubans and Americans will become good neighbors someday. 
 
It amazes me that we can often miss opportunities that have been there all along. For instance, it is so easy to get a quote for D&O, EPL or almost all types of Professional Liability from the same wonderful folks at Tucano you talk to daily about Casualty business. Or, did you know Tuscano has access to a well-known binding authority market for excess and umbrella business? It’s the perfect solution to add layers of protection to your small business owner or contractor. And, did you know that when it snows, Tuscano can write snowmobile insurance for your outdoor enthusiasts? I’m not ashamed to say call us first and often! We can do all this and more.
 
The last thing before I sign off, I want to thank my team and all you for your forbearance. Greensburg was in the path of the big winter storm last week. At 6:30 AM Wednesday morning we made the call to have our staff stay home. Fortunately, over half of our employees are able to work from home so we managed to be safe and keep the doors open for business. If you are ever in doubt about whether we are open, just check our website. We always post a notice if business operations are affected. Also, you can jump over to the staff page and immediately see who is working and available to take calls. 
 
We love this business!
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