All Your BondingNeeds In One Place
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Established in 1963, Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson Insurance in Irondale is a full-service agency offering home, auto and life insurance policies for its personal clients, as well as tailored business packages for commercial and professional clients.
The firm represents a carefully curated group of reputable, financially sound insurance companies and places policies with the companies that offer their clients the best coverage at the most competitive prices.
Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson also provides bonds for a wide variety of clients, with Lee Headrick serving as the manager of the company’s bond department.
Headrick works daily with attorneys, paralegals, property managers, business owners, contractors and other professionals to fulfill their bonding needs.
“We want our clients to trust they can call if they need anything, and we strive to be there for them through thick and thin,” Headrick says.
“This year is our 60th anniversary,” she says. “Good service and happy customers are why we are still going strong and it means everything to us.”
The industry veteran is passionate about the importance of bonds to our economy and also seeks to dispel some misconceptions about them.
“I want to change the way people think of bonds,” Headrick says.“I want to change that.”
“Bonds touch our lives daily,” she says. “Your home was built by contractors who were bonded, it is kept comfortable by service people who are bonded, your employer has your benefits protected by bonds and you may have had occasion to use a notary who is bonded.”
Public officials, colleges, hospitals, nursing homes and investment advisors are bonded, Headrick says.
A type of bonding called surety bonding covers many things, she says. They include those that allow businesses to be licensed with the state, contractor bonds for work to be completed, court bonds to assist with probated estates, as well as bonds for the care of an elderly parent, judicial bonds for appeals and temporary restraining orders, bonds for lost checks or titles, and notary bonds, she says.
“Bonds may be invisible on a day-to-day basis but are tied up in a number of things that make the world run,” Headrick says.
Headrick explains that a bond is essentially a three-party contract.
“We — the bond company — insure you to another party that you will fulfill your obligation to them on time and in good faith,” she says. “The bond protects the other party and makes them more comfortable with the contract or appointment as there is a financial amount backing the contract should you fail at your obligation.”
“Each bond is a way to help a person, a business or a family,” she says. “Each bond is important to that person and has its own story. I want to make it easy for my customers.”
Headrick works directly with clients to get their bonds quickly so they can go about their work.
“As department manager, I attend to every detail of the bond so it is timely and accurate,” she says.
“As independent agents, we have many markets to find the right fit and source exactly what you are looking for,” Headrick says. “We have options for E-Signing applications and payments by credit card. We can write bonds all over the United States, and most bonds can be issued within a day or two.”
Headrick says that she is passionate about her work.
“I am goal-oriented and friendly, so I truly love what I do,” she says. “Nothing makes me happier than talking to our customers and helping them get what they need.”
“Lee has a great attitude and work ethic, as well as excellent product knowledge and great people skills,” says Bubba Bates, the president of Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson and a native of Mountain Brook.
Headrick has done a “tremendous job” as the firm’s bond manager, Bates says.
“Lee is well connected with the Birmingham legal community, and she has brought in a large number of new clients to our agency,” he says. “Lee is proficient in getting bonds turned around in a prompt manner, and the attorneys and paralegals that she works with really like this.”
“I love helping people, and I also love a challenge,” Headrick says. “It’s super satisfying when I can find a solution to help someone with a bond.”
Headrick is originally from Colorado and moved to Alabama in the late 1980s.
She has 23 years of experience in surety bonding and has earned the CPIA (Certified Professional Insurance Agent) and CISR (Certified Insurance Service Representative) designations.
Headrick said that she is proud to be part of the insurance industry and a part of Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson.
The agency prioritizes “family, relationships and service,” she says.
“I work with a great group of agents who genuinely care about their clients, and when you love what you do, the service shows,” she says. “Our business serves amazing communities in Mountain Brook and all over Alabama.”
The people at Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson work well together, Headrick says.
“We have an excellent team,” she says. “We all work seamlessly together to take care of all of your insurance and bonding needs, making every effort to get you the best coverage possible.”
Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson also provide the personal touch.
“Part of being a small business means that we can provide clients with personalized service,” Headrick says. “We are not so big you can’t get a person on the phone, but big enough to provide all your insurance and bonding needs.”
Away from work, Headrick says that she enjoys dancing, hearing live music, hiking and camping with Bill, her husband of 35 years, and their Goldendoodle Pete. She has two adult children, Lauren and Jon.
Please reach out to Lee, she is excited to help with your next bond!
