Aug. 11, 2006 – The St. Croix insurance companies of Gotts & Associates and Marshall and Sterling recently merged, with Gotts & Associates now operating as a division of Marshall and Sterling. Both companies will maintain separate locations and identities with each working in its area of expertise.
"We're delighted," said Gotts & Associates owner Carl Gotts.
John Harper, who serves as president of Marshall and Sterling on St. Croix, was equally pleased.
"This means we'll have more ready access to their expertise," Harper said.
Gotts, 50, specialized in health and life insurance, as well as employee benefits including individual and group policies. Marshall and Sterling focuses on property and casualty insurance, although Harper said it did write a bit of health and life before the merger.
The associate in Gotts & Associates's title is Lionel Downer, who has many years experience in the insurance industry. Donna Ackerman and Karen DeWolfe remain with Gotts as administrative assistants.
With the merger, Gotts will send its clients looking for property or casualty insurance to Marshall and Sterling, while Marshall and Sterling will steer its heath and life insurance customers to Gotts.
Harper said that since both companies are service oriented, the merger will work well.
"It's the perfect melding of two businesses," Gotts said.
Gotts, who was born in Virginia Beach, Va., arrived on St. Croix in 1988 with his wife, Marti Gotts, who was then his girlfriend. Marti Gotts owns Vacation St. Croix.
"I loved it (St. Croix) and gave my notice to Traveler's Insurance," he said, speaking about his former employer.
Carl Gotts got into the insurance business after a career in law enforcement, where he worked as a narcotics detective. He said he got into the insurance business after he bought property that he couldn't afford on a cop's salary.
After his arrival on St. Croix, he worked first for Trailer Marine Transport. And after getting his St. Croix feet wet, he went to work as the Caribbean representative for World Life and Health Insurance Co. He moved on to the now-closed Markoe Agency before joining St. Croix Insurance, where he worked 10 years before buying out the company's health and life insurance department to open Gotts & Associates in 2001.
While Gotts is proud of his insurance company, he said he takes equal pride in his community service. He's the director of the annual Toys for Tots golf tournament, held Oct. 1 at Carambola Golf Course and on the board of directors of the Court Appointed Special Advocates, a program that assists children involved in court procedures.
On Marshall and Sterling's side, there is 47-year-old Harper, who first came to St. Croix as an insurance adjuster 21 years ago from Maryland's eastern shore.
Harper, whose wife is County Day School teacher Theresa Harper, said he signed on with Marshall and Sterling in 1987. The Poughkeepsie, N.Y., company has 18 offices located in the state of New York.
Harper serves on the boards of Cruzan Bikeways and the CDS Foundation, and he is a deacon of the St. Croix Reformed Church. He's past president of the Rotary Club of St. Croix Mid-Isle, former vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Croix Country Day School, former president of the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation, and a former board member of the St. Croix Environmental Association.
"And I ride my bike, swim and run," he said of his other activities.
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