Linked here is the obituary of Richard Pepper, one of ACIG’s four founders. As the obituary states, Rich was one of the construction industry’s most respected leaders who passed away on January 28th, 2021. He was one of my best friends, a great partner, and an unbelievable mentor. Without Rich Pepper, there would not be an ACIG.

The obituary provides an outstanding review of Rich’s commitment to Roxy, his family, the construction industry, and his community. While ACIG is briefly mentioned, I would like to elaborate on his contribution to ACIG and his lengthy commitment to the ACIG family.

At the young age of 35, I was fortunate to be a consultant to the national Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and one of my projects, after assisting the AGC in negotiating with the AIA on the 201 documents, was to assist in the development of the insurance language in the AGC Construction Management and Design-Build contract documents. In the mid 70’s, I made a presentation to the two responsible AGC committees at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. This is when I first met Rich and Vernie Lindstrom with Kitchell.

Shortly after that meeting, Rich called me and asked that I come to Chicago to discuss having Pepper Construction retain me as a consultant. He retained me, and my firm, Rimco, to become Pepper’s risk management consultant. Retaining a 35-year-old to be a consultant for his prestigious firm, was a leap of faith for which I will always be most thankful.

In the following years, while negotiating Pepper Construction’s insurance renewals, we formed Contractors Casualty in Bermuda. At that time, I was becoming an expert in captives and risk financing alternatives while deepening my involvement in the construction industry. We never activated the captive, but we did use it as a negotiating tool at renewal. Here is a bit of interesting trivia. On May 1, 1981, when we kicked off the group captive project, we renamed Contractors Casualty to American Risk Transfer Company (ARTIC) which was later renamed American Contractors Insurance Company (ACIG).

In the fall of 1979, Rich referred Doug Pitcock to me with the suggestion that he hire Rimco and me as his risk management consultant. Doug retained me and suggested we look at starting a group captive. I explained that Rich and I had a similar discussion in September during the Pepper insurance renewal meeting. Doug suggested he take the idea to the national AGC executive committee, which Rich was also a member. He did, and an initial meeting was set up in Hawaii at the annual AGC meeting. With Doug and Rich’s backing, a feasibility study was set up including some AGC members and Rimco clients which culminated with four of us going forward on 5/1/81.

On May 1, 1981, we formally began operations. Jeff Love, John Johannsson, Roxy’s uncle, and I went to Bermuda to kick things off. Somewhere, we have the “proverbial napkin” where we outlined the structure. Don Love, Inc. became our first insured Member on 7/31/81, Pepper Construction placed their business with the captive on 10/1/81, and Williams Brothers became an insured on 12/31/81. We were then off to the races, growing to ten contractor Members by 8/1/82. At 39 years of age, by asking me to head up an insurance company, amounted to a tremendous vote of confidence. Another leap of faith on the part of Rich, Jeff Love, and Doug.

A book can be written on what has happened since then. One thing is certain, Richard Pepper was always in the middle of all of this. He was what I have called the “peacemaker.” We have had some tough and heated discussions in the history of ACIG, but Rich had the ability to always bring us back on track.

You can’t talk about Rich without talking about Roxy. As respects to attending ACIG events, as they always were, Rich and Roxy were joined at the hip and inseparable. In a way, she was my guardian angel. At times when Rich really got cranked about some ACIG issues and he was really on my case, she politely, but firmly, told him to ease off. In any event, Roxy was as much as a supporter of ACIG as Rich.

In summary, Rich and Roxy Pepper are one of the primary reasons that there is an ACIG. Personally, there is a hole in my heart over the loss of Rich. But, it is nothing compared to the sense of loss of being experienced Roxy and the Pepper Family. While all of us are thankful to Rich and Roxy for their contributions to the success of ACIG, Shirley and I are the deepest in their debt.

We will dearly miss Rich but we still have Roxy. This fall, I hope to honor the Peppers, the Pitcocks, and the Loves for their contributions to and support of ACIG as we celebrate ACIG’s 40th anniversary. We will also celebrate the 37 years that Mike and Rita O’Neill’s contributed to ACIG.

We are all blessed to be part of ACIG. ACIG would also not be what it is without your support. Stay safe and healthy.

All our best,

Bill & Shirley McIntyre

Richard S Pepper's Obituary.pdf