Guignard is a family-owned surety bond agency that offers an honest approach to business, one of the many reasons it is celebrating 40 years in business. With an entrepreneurial spirit, Jack Guignard, an experienced surety professional, founded Guignard in 1977. Since then, Guignard has made its mission to deliver reliable, professional and sincere service to every client. With Jack’s son, Bryce Guignard, serving as current president after 25 years at the agency, the combined experience of the Guignard family, along with that of its seasoned team, provide a strong stewardship for the business.
As a surety agency, Guignard serves as the facilitator between clients needing bonds and the surety companies that provide them. Because it works with multiple sides of the industry, Guignard’s team not only understands the process, but they respect it and are dedicated to finding the right solution for clients. The agency prides itself on fostering relationships, and that commitment goes beyond the normal workday. “We’re not just an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. company, we’re available whenever the client needs us,” says Guignard partner, Margie Morris. Guignard is comprised of more than 175 years of combined surety company and agency experience, as well as a trusted network of more than 20 surety partners to fulfill any bond request.
When working with clients, Guignard knows that integrity and relationship-building are key. A genuine dedication to helping people find the right solution is seen with each project. That’s why the approach to every contract is the same, “regardless of three zeroes or 9 zeroes on the balance sheet,” says Margie Morris. Guignard employees, many of whom have over 25 years of experience, offer the same expertise to all clients, whether it’s a startup company or a tenured business.
“We treat each client with white gloves, and we walk alongside them at all levels of the contract process.” – Margie Morris, Partner
Guignard’s dedication doesn’t end with its clients. In fact, it begins internally with a strong company culture. With a positive, family-oriented workplace, Guignard understands the importance of a work/life balance and it offers a flexible environment for employees. As a family-focused team, Guignard also cares about the wellness of its employees. A current health initiative is aimed at increasing office exercise, with the goal of collectively walking the equivalent of the Earth’s diameter within one year. Enjoying almost 30 years at Guignard, senior account executive, April Lively, appreciates the level of trust between employees and management. “There’s independence and freedom to do my job and they know it’s going to be done well.”
“From the top to the bottom of our agency, you’re going to find a greater sense of ownership. We all take pride, and we all act like owners.” – Bryce Guignard, President
To those looking to enter the industry as a surety professional, Guignard offers wise advice about respecting the process. The agency places a firm importance on assisting clients before gaining dollars. “Focus on doing the job of presenting good deals for everyone involved,” says Bryce Guignard.
In addition to supporting clients and employees, Guignard supports charitable organizations in both a corporate and personal capacity, championing arts in Central Florida and participating in the causes their clients care about, such as the Central Florida Zoo, the Red Cross, Dancing for Diabetes, Kids House of Seminole, the American Cancer Society and more.
Celebrating 40 years in business prompts Guignard to look toward the next 40 years and beyond. “We’ve excelled because we focus on our core business — surety bonds. We spend 100% of our time doing that, which make us unique in the industry,” says Guignard partner, Paul Ciambriello.
“We’ve got a great foundation and we want to continue building on that.” – Bryce Guignard
With a solid foundation guiding the way, the agency expects to continue providing excellent surety solutions along with its goal of expediting the bonding process through the use of the latest technology. With offices in Longwood and Tampa, Guignard is keeping an open mind to more expansions, and the next generation of agency employees.
