Cartersville-based Shaw Hankins is named as a “Georgia Best in Business” company in the March issue of Forbes magazine.

The firm, which brokers health insurance for companies of all sizes, has more than 40 employees spread across six offices in Rome, Cartersville, Cumming, Albany, St. Simon’s and Birmingham, Ala.

Forbes recognized the local firm for outstanding service to its clients and for its rate of growth over the last several years.

Shaw Hankins President and CEO Scott Hankins said he felt the company’s strong suit is its emphasis on wellness and employee-sanctioned health clinics. Each time an employee walks into the clinic, as opposed to going out into the market, there is an incremental savings, he said.

“We are able to take claims information and drill down to find out how much they pay for an office (visit), so we are able to see how much they are paying in the market and compare it to how much they pay at the on-site health clinic,” Hankins said. “We can show (the employer) the savings every time somebody walks in.”

He said everybody wins in that scenario. There is no co-pay for the employee, it’s a lower cost for the employer, and the employee isn’t away from the office waiting for hours in a physician’s office.

Online technology is another reason Hankins gave for the company’s success. “The more information is automated, the less room there is for errors,” Hankins said.

A third factor Hankins cited as a reason for the Forbes recognition is Shaw Hankins’ specialization in public entities. The company serves about 50 city and county governments, school systems and authorities.

“It’s not business that every broker understands,” Hankins said. “We understand we’re going to be at the sheriff’s department at midnight enrolling deputies because that’s when they work.”