AR Direct announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with IA Path, a company that helps people become independent auto-damage appraisers in as few as 30 days.

Chris Stanley founded IA Path in October 2016 after seeing a need for a new wave of auto-damage adjusters and appraisers. He has eight years of experience as an independent adjuster, hosts a weekly podcast and has a heavy online presence dedicated to adjuster placement and training.

“Catastrophes are trying times for everyone involved, and it takes a serious amount of skill to do the job well,” said Barry Barbee, executive director of Tallahassee, Fla.-based AR Direct. “The No. 1 goal of this program is to make sure claim representatives who are extremely competent, properly vetted, compassionate and have the best-in-class training are representing our insurance carrier partners and are able to extend red-carpet treatment to those that are impacted by storms. The program we’ve designed ensures our representatives will leave a favorable impression on the insured and the inspection flow is flawless.”

Stanley noticed that the younger generations face large barriers to entry and low pay, which is turning them away from a career as independent adjusters. New, qualified appraisers are in need of certifications and veterans to stand in the gap for them, and AR Direct and IA Path aim to facilitate this through a comprehensive hail-catastrophe certification course.

“IA Path is dedicated to auto-adjuster placement and training,” Stanley said. “I’m honored that AR Direct is partnering to make it a reality. It seems AR Direct shares the vision to empower current and future adjusters with the tools necessary for success.”