A look inside the story — and the staying power — of one of the most enduring programs in daily auto rental insurance
A program with deep roots
Reaching the 40-year mark is no small feat, particularly in a specialized market like daily auto rental. Since its founding, Mile High Markets, part of Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc., has become one of the industry’s most enduring programs by staying focused, adapting with intention and building strong relationships with the agents and clients it serves. Its longevity reflects a team that knows the business inside and out and stays committed to doing the work well.
That focus traces to the program’s earliest days. Mile High Markets launched to fill a gap in the daily auto rental space, where evolving state statutes, shifting liability needs and underdeveloped coverage options left many operators exposed. The program’s founder, Don Schallert worked closely with their initial carrier to build a solution tailored to that market’s complexities. From the start, the program’s success hinged on understanding those nuances and designing coverage around the real risks rental companies faced, not just ticking boxes on a standard form.
“There was a hole in the market,” says Angela Dodd, vice president of Mile High Markets. “There were just a couple of carriers who had the lion’s share of the market but didn’t necessarily have a clear understanding of the players and their needs.”
That clarity — in both coverage and purpose — has shaped Mile High’s approach from the beginning. It’s never been about offering one-size-fits-all policies. As Dodd puts it, “A risk is not a risk is not a risk in this industry.” Whether serving a small operation in Alabama or a multi-state system with thousands of vehicles, the team learned early on that their work starts with understanding who they’re insuring and what they truly need. That mindset still drives everything they do.
“The proof is in the pudding. We don’t just say things. We mean what we say and say what we mean.”
Holding steady through change
Mile High Market’s history is marked by steady growth, though the path hasn’t always been smooth. Like many in the insurance industry, the team has navigated industry shifts, economic downturns and market upheavals. From the post-9/11 downturn to the 2008 financial crisis and the unprecedented disruptions of the pandemic, Mile High has responded with consistency, clarity and a sharp understanding of how each moment affects their insureds.
“The only constant is change,” says Dodd. “We stretch constantly, both internally and facing forward with our customers.” That flexibility has become even more critical in recent years. After nearly four decades with a single carrier, Mile High Markets went through two major transitions in four years while managing the ripple effects of the pandemic and ongoing economic uncertainty, including today’s tariffs discussions that could extend vehicle use in fleets and increase liability.
But their approach has never changed. “We maintain our relationships,” says Dodd. “You’ll hear me say that word all the time because it’s the most important commodity we have.” In every disruptive moment — carrier shifts, economic swings or the pandemic shutdown — the team keeps dialogue wide-open with clients and agents, believing, as Dodd says, “There’s always opportunity in chaos.”
Over the past four decades, that outlook has turned each crisis into a chance, and commitment, to strengthen relationships and prove the program’s credibility. “There are folks who could probably go out in the market today and maybe get a lower rate,” Dodd says, with quiet acknowledgement. “But the proof is in the pudding. We don’t just say things. We mean what we say and say what we mean.”
Underwriting with intention
Behind Mile High Market’s longevity stands a team that takes nothing for granted. “This team is disciplined, diligent and well-versed in the industry,” Dodd says. “Every risk we see is a new opportunity, even if it’s a renewal. You look at it with fresh eyes.”
With decades of industry experience between them, the group remains small, tight-knit and deeply collaborative. Their approach to underwriting is rooted in rigor, thoughtfulness and curiosity, where numbers matter, but context matters more. “What we’ve done at Mile High Markets is we’ve really become subject matter experts in daily auto insurance,” says Dodd. “The relationships we have with our customers and retail agents who operate in this space are really unique and give us the ability to keep our finger on the pulse of the industry.”
“Constantly having conversations and being part of the community, that’s what sets us apart,” she adds proudly. It also shapes how they evaluate submissions, respond to complexity and guide clients through difficult decisions.
Even as the team operates across multiple locations, communication stays constant. “We talk all the time,” says Dodd. “It’s not uncommon for someone to call and say, ‘You won’t believe what I got or what do you think about this?’” The result is a strong internal culture where no decision is made in isolation, and no detail is overlooked.
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Clear words and complex risks
If meticulous underwriting is Mile High’s engine, then straight-talk is the fuel that keeps the program running. “Nobody likes bad news,” Dodd says. “But when we’ve got it, we deliver it quickly and succinctly. People value that.”
“It’s important to be able to explain all the nuances and not just speak insurance, but to speak their language,” she adds. That kind of honesty and clarity has earned them more than renewals. It’s built long-term loyalty, even in tough conversations. Dodd recalls a 20-year client facing a significant rate increase after a major loss. Instead of avoiding the conversation, she picked up the phone and laid it out. “I told him, ‘This is going to be ugly. You might want to shop.’ And he said, ‘No, we’ve built trust over the years’.”
That same level of transparency and collaboration shapes how they work with their carrier. “We’ve got some very unique insureds on the books now,” Dodd says. “We come through those renewals educating the new carrier. Here’s what we did, here’s why, here’s the reading methodology, here’s the coverage standpoint, here’s the exposure.”
The same thoughtful approach guides their work with agents. “We spend a lot of time on the phone educating them, walking them through the coverages, through the policy structure, the language, the loss history on the account — making sure everyone’s got a clear picture of what we’re looking at and what we’re working on,” Dodd says.
Whether it’s an insured, agent or carrier, Mile High Markets treats every relationship as a chance to educate, advocate and stay connected. Beyond retaining business, their ultimate goal is to help people make informed decisions, even the tough ones.
“I hope people continue to look to us to answer the tough questions and create meaningful solutions. And I hope they continue to see us not just as a market, but as a resource.”
A team that shows up
If there’s one thing Dodd returns to again and again, it’s the strength of the team. For a program that’s lasted four decades, that kind of consistency doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built by people who care, not just about the work, but about each other. “Everything we do here is a team effort,” Dodd says proudly. “Everyone rallies together and understands that we’re all individuals working toward one goal.”
Many on the team have worked together for years — even decades — and have seen each other through plenty of challenges, both professional and personal. The result is a culture where collaboration is the default, communication is constant and support goes beyond the job description. “If you’re going to spend this much time doing something, you should care about it and the people you’re working with,” says Dodd.
Even as the team grows, those values remain front and center. A new underwriter has joined this summer, adding fresh energy to what Dodd calls a “tiny but mighty” group. The growth is exciting, but so is the opportunity to pass along the mindset that’s helped shape Mile High Markets over the years. “This team is an exemplary model of what it looks like to care and how you rally — pick up the phone or pick up the slack,” she says with earnest gratitude. “I can’t say enough about these folks that I get to work with every day.”
Carrying the program forward
For Dodd, the 40-year milestone is a reflection of what it means to build something that people can count on. “I hope people continue to look to us to answer the tough questions and create meaningful solutions,” she says. “And I hope they continue to see us not just as a market, but as a resource.”
The next chapter of Mile High Markets is already taking shape. State filings are back in place and long-time clients in Alaska and Hawaii are ready to return. But what excites Dodd most is the opportunity to do the work with the same care and clarity that’s defined the program for decades. “When I came to Mile High, it was just a job,” Dodd says, her voice softening. “I was a single mom with the most amazing daughter in the world to raise, and it became a lot more than a job. It became a career, and it became a home.”
Dodd is quick to deflect credit, but it’s clear she’s been instrumental in guiding Mile High Markets through some of its most defining years. And she’s still learning. “I have two tenets that I think of every morning: let’s do the next right thing and I don’t know what I don’t know,” she says. “I’ve been doing this almost 25 years, but I still have so much to learn. And as a program, we can only call ourselves subject matter experts because we’re open to learning and listening.”
That philosophy has carried the programs through decades of growth, and Dodd hopes it will continue to guide its future. “If this is a place where people can come, provide for their families, grow and feel like they’re part of something, that’s the sweet spot,” she says with a smile.
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