Progress not perfection

When Scott Franklin and other members of the Lanier Upshaw management team sit down to interview a prospective employee for their insurance firm they have a specific list of criteria that person must meet.

That list includes sales skills, technical know-how and a strong business acumen.

Those traits are particularly important at Lanier Upshaw, a full-service, independent insurance company based in Lakeland, with an office in Tampa. The firm has 65 employees, including 17 sales agents, and handles about $93 million in premiums a year. In addition to business insurance, services include a private medical insurance exchange, group employee benefits services and financial consulting.