Excellence That’s Earned
At O’Connor Insurance Associates, we are honored to once again be recognized as a 2025 Best Practices Agency in North Carolina, a distinction we’ve proudly maintained since 2012. Out of more than 1,000 nominated independent insurance agencies nationwide, fewer than 350 receive this prestigious industry designation for achieving the highest levels of excellence in operations, growth, and client experience in a given year.
For us, being recognized as a Best Practices Agency is about more than business performance. It validates our steadfast commitment to exceeding expectations and holds us accountable to it year after year.
What It Means to Be a Best Practices Agency
Each year, the national trade association Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (or, the Big “I”) and Reagan Consulting work together to conduct a best practices study to identify the highest-performing agencies across the country.
To earn a Best Practices Agency designation, nominated agencies must submit detailed financial and operational data for review. Organized into seven different revenue categories, agencies are evaluated based on quantitative metrics such as staffing growth, profitability, client retention, and operational efficiency.
This is not a one-time or lifetime achievement award. Rather, it’s a continual benchmark for excellence that motivates the best to remain among the best and offers insights into how other agencies can improve their own performance.
For O’Connor Insurance Associates, the Best Practices Agency recognition is proof that our systems, culture, and service model continue to deliver on what matters most: our clients’ trust and peace of mind.
Why Choose a Best Practices Agency for Your North Carolina Business
When you’re looking for an insurance agency, you are looking for a partner you can trust and who will give you peace of mind. When you see a Best Practices designation, you can be confident in that agency’s ability to deliver.
Why does that matter to your bottom line? Because these agencies are financially sound, professionally managed, and they invest heavily in technology and staff education. That means two key things for your business: First, they have fewer coverage gaps. They know the ins and outs of North Carolina liability and regulations, so they’re less likely to miss a critical exposure that could cost you thousands down the road. They handle risk better because they are run well.
Second, they save you time. A Best Practices agency is efficient. They use superior technology to quote accurately and process claims quickly. When you’re managing staff, inventory, and growth, you don’t need the headache of chasing down paperwork or dealing with slow service. You want an agency that lets you delegate your insurance needs entirely, giving you the confidence to focus 100% on running your business, knowing the risk side is fully covered. It’s about buying peace of mind from a partner that is certified for excellence.
Since 2012, our continued recognition as a Best Practices Agency has reaffirmed that our dedication to building relationships, fostering education, and embracing innovation makes a real difference in the lives of our clients. We will continue to evolve, invest in technology, and develop our people so we can deliver what our mission promises: clarity, confidence, and care in every insurance decision you make.
That’s a standard we are proud to uphold for our clients, our team, and the North Carolina business community we serve.
Experience the O’Connor Difference
We are proud to represent what’s best about independent insurance: choice, advocacy, and a human connection built on trust. When you partner with O’Connor Insurance Associates, you’re choosing a team that doesn’t just meet industry benchmarks; we help set them.
Ready to experience what working with a Best Practices Agency feels like? Contact us today and let us show you how we go above and beyond to help you protect what matters most.
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O’Connor Insurance Associates is fully licensed to provide personal and commercial insurance solutions for individuals, families and businesses across North Carolina.
We proudly serve families and business owners from our office in Charlotte, North Carolina. As an independent, family-owned agency since 2000, our team works with more than one insurance company to make sure homeowners, drivers, contractors, landscapers, small businesses and other personal and commercial clients receive coverage that fits their real risks.
About the Author
President & Founder
I’m Terry O’Connor, President and Founder of O’Connor Insurance Associates. I grew up in Pennsylvania, earned my bachelor’s degree at Edinboro University and my master’s at Gannon University, and in 1998 I traded snow for sunshine and moved to Charlotte. In January 2000, I started this agency on my own because I wanted to help people protect what matters most to them. More than two decades later, we’ve grown into an independent agency serving families and businesses across North Carolina, and we’ve been recognized as an IIABA Best Practices Agency every year since 2010, a distinction held by fewer than 1% of agencies nationwide.
I’ve seen firsthand how the right protection can change a family’s or a business owner’s life, and that’s why I lead with empathy, education and honest advice. As an independent agent, I work for you, not for one insurance company. I take the time to explain your options in plain language, and when you call our office, you reach a real person who knows your account.
Outside the office, you’ll usually find me outdoors hunting or fishing, or on the mat coaching wrestling as an assistant varsity coach at Mallard Creek High School. I’m also a proud supporter of the arts, usually in the front row cheering on my daughter in local theater productions. I’d be glad to review your coverage with you. Call me at 704-510-8884 or email terry@oianc.com.
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