EP George

  • When was your firm founded?

Incorporated May of 2019.  Got licenses and carrier appointments in place by August and have been writing business since then.

  • Who founded your firm?

Myself, Manny Hatjygeorge – Out of college I worked for 2 years at Colonial Surety, a direct writer out of NJ as a field underwriter.  I then moved on to working at Olympic Coverage LLC, a bonds-only agency that was founded by my father, Pete Hatjygeorge.  In my time at Olympic I took on the role of bond manager which enabled me to expand my knowledge of surety underwriting by being the key agency contact for the underwriters and carriers the agency worked with while at the same time learning to service accounts by working directly with all of the agency’s clientele.  After 10 years of experience at Olympic I decided that starting my own agency would give me the best opportunity to independently grow my book of business while continuing to provide my clients the support they need to grow their businesses and profit margins.

  • Where is your firm based?

Elmsford, NY.

  • How big is your firm?

Small agency handling small to medium sized contractors.

  • Is the company a family-owned business?

Not necessarily but the majority of my experience before opening this agency was based in a family business.

  • What type of subcontractor are you?

Bonding Agent.

  • What have been some of the firm’s major accomplishments; major projects?

In my career I have written subcontract bonds on high profile projects such as construction of the Tappan Zee/Mario Cuomo Bridge.  But I am just as proud of the bonds I have written and work I have done with contractors for projects with less flashy names such as work at waste water treatment facilities, rehabbing HVAC systems for Sanitation Garages, etc.  Although these projects aren’t usually on the general public’s radar as much as some of the big name projects we run across everyday, this work is necessary and key to keeping NYC and the surrounding areas one of the best places in the world to live and work.  I take pride in the fact that I have contributed, albeit in the grand scheme of things just a small part of the pie, to helping keep the infrastructure of the NY Metro area running.

  • Where does Your firm operate-just NY or other areas?

Majority of accounts are located in and work in the NY Metro area but also work with clients ranging from Western NY to MD.

  • What have been some of the unique traits of the firm?

My clients know that they can reach me at anytime and I can respond to their needs on short notice.  Contractors I work with also value the close relationships I have with the underwriters I do business with and my ability introduce clients to an underwriter and surety best suited to meet their company’s needs

  • How has your firm been involved in the construction industry? (Associations, etc.)

Being in the surety industry I have been active in the National Assoc. of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) for the past 10 years.  In NASBP I am an active member of the 5-15 Young Professionals group as well as the Govt. Relations Committee.

Recently I have been focusing time on becoming more active in contractor trade associations such as Builder Realty Institute (BRI), Queens Bronx Building Association (QBBA) and STA.

  • What are some challenges the firm has overcome?

Tough to say as the company is only a few months old.  Deciding to make the move to open my own agency and execute a plan to make it happen was a bit of a challenge.  But something I plan on challenging myself each year with will be continuing to improve the service and increase the capacity I can offer to my clients so that they have the tools they need to grow their businesses and achieve their goals.  By succeeding at that I will feel that I have overcome a challenge and achieved the goal I have set for myself in starting this business.

  • What does the firm think it’s legacy has been for the NY construction industry?

I would say I still have some work to get done before I can say that the agency has created a legacy for itself.  But I hope to build a legacy for EP George as being a reputable bonding agency working with professional contractors and exceling at seeing and meeting each client’s individual needs.  My goal is for contractors that choose to do business with EP George, to be able to rest assured that the surety underwriter EP George teams them up with will not be an obstacle to their business but a partner in their business.

  • Why did you join the Subcontractors Trade Association?

Over the past 12 months while I have been doing research on different trade associations in the NY Metro area to become more active in, STA stood out as a clear choice to me.  The landscape to do business as a subcontractor in the NY Metro area is constantly changing field with factors such as legislation, contract terms, labor and the overall economy all being fluid elements and having an effect on bottom lines and profit margins.  By joining the membership of the STA I can use the association as an asset to my business by staying on top of what is helping and hurting subcontractors at any given time and then convey this information to my clients so that they can position themselves for success.