News Release

For Immediate Release 
Contact: Marla McIntyre 
202-686-7463; mmcintyre@sio.org

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL SURETY PROFESSIONALS 
RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE

APRIL 29, 2004, WASHINGTON, DC – Don K. Ardolino of J.D. Kutter Insurance Associates in St. Louis, Missouri, and Stephen Brown of C.P. Brown & Associates, in Memphis, Tennessee, are recognized as surety industry leaders with the Platinum Award for Excellence in Surety Bond Promotion for their dedication to promoting surety bonds through education and outreach. The Platinum Award is presented annually by the Surety Information Office (SIO), the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP), and The Surety Association of America (SAA) to individual members of NASBP and SAA who actively promote the benefits of surety bonds.

Ardolino is recognized not only for his notable efforts as a member of the Surety Association of St. Louis, but also for his outstanding efforts to ensure that subcontractors were protected with surety bonds on the new St. Louis Cardinals stadium. He made several presentations to local trade associations on the pitfalls faced by subcontractors on projects where surety bonds are not required in favor of a substitute insurance product. The long hours and energy he spent on the cause led to portions of the project – and subcontractors’ payment protection – being covered by surety bonds. 

Ardolino also led the efforts of the St. Louis and Kansas City Surety Associations to propose and pass anti-directed surety legislation, which will ensure fair competition for contractors in Missouri. He drafted proposed legislation, recruited sponsors for the bill, and led a delegation to testify before committee hearings. 

Brown was very active in 2003. He gave presentations to the Memphis Airport Authority, the Minority Contractors Association of Memphis, the Mid-South Minority Business Council, and Shelby County purchasing representatives. His article, “Contractor Assistance Program,” appeared in the Memphis-area newspaper, The Commercial Appeal. He also served as a pro-bono consultant to the local and regional Small Business Administration (SBA) offices and the Shelby County and City of Memphis bonding assistance programs. 

Brown serves on the Memphis Minority Business Council Program Committee, works with the Minority Contractors Association of Memphis, and is a partner with the Memphis Division of Housing & Community Development Contractor’s Assistance Program. The award judges cited his work promoting surety bonds to emerging contractors as a key factor to his receiving the award.

The Platinum Award for Excellence in Surety Bond Promotion, sponsored by SIO, was presented April 28, 2004 at the National Association of Surety Bond Producers Annual Meeting in Marco Island, FL and also will be presented at The Surety Association of America Annual Meeting in Washington, DC on May 13, 2004.

Surety bonding is a careful, rigorous, and professional process in which surety companies and surety bond producers prequalify contractors to assure project owners that these contractors are capable of performing the contract and paying certain laborers, subcontractors, and suppliers.

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SIO was formed in 1993 to disseminate information about the benefits of contract surety bonding in private and public construction. Located in Washington, DC, SIO is supported by the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) [surety agents and brokers] and The Surety Association of America (SAA) [surety companies]. Surety bonding is a careful, rigorous, and professional process in which surety companies prequalify contractors and then assure project owners that these contractors are capable of performing the contract and will pay certain subcontractors and suppliers associated with the project.