A.L. Williams - Media
- 1978 1112 - The Atlanta Constitution - New 'Deposit Term' Insurance Creating Uproar in Industry - [A.L. Williams], by Joe Ledlie --- [BonkNote] --- [link-Part 1-p-newspapers.ocm] --- [link-Part 2-p36-newspapers.com]
- 1980 1116 - Fort Lauderdale News - A.L. Williams Grows Despite Controversy, by Karen Southwick --- [BonkNote] --- [link-Part 1-p39-newspapers.com] --- [link-Part 2-p42-newspapers.com]
- 1981 0118 - The Palm Beach Post - Policy Warfare: Term vs. Whole Life, by Leonard Sandler --- [BonkNote] --- [link-Part 1-newspapers.com] --- [link-Part 2-newspapers.com]
-
- 1988 0128 - NYT - A.L. Williams Sets Tie With Primerica - [link]
- 1990 1111 - Asbury Park Press - The A.L. Williams Insurance Crusade
- 1990 1111 - Asbury Park Press - This Isn't Just Insurance: When A.L. Williams Pitches, Agents Listen
-
The sales troops have been without their leader since July, when Williams announced that he was taking a leave of absence to cooperate with an FBI investigation into his unorthodox insurance sales firm.
- With no formal business education or corporate management experience, Williams formed his own insurance agency in 1977, teaming up with Charles D. "Boe" Adams, who was earlier convicted of stock and land fraud. Williams now refers to Adams as the "genius" behind the operation. Outside his Atlanta office, Williams reportedly kept a life-size portrait of Adams, bearing the inscription "The Mastermind."
-
- 1990 1111 - Asbury Park Press - States Cry Foul: A.L. Williams Has Had Several Run-ins with State Insurance Regulators Across the Country - Here are a few:
- Working for A.L. Williams: Like Cult or just job? (Asbury Park, New Jersey) Newspapers.com - [link]
- 1990 0930 - NYT - Wall Street; Stubbing a Toe on Primerica, By Diana B. Henriques - [link]
- The stock market, to judge by the drubbing the company's shares have taken in the past two months, thinks that Primerica is a poor bet, in part because of emerging problems at the A. L. Williams unit.
- One thing that worries Mr. Picoult is the unfolding drama at Williams, which Primerica purchased in 1988 from its controversial founder and self-styled ''coach,'' Art Williams. For years, Mr. Williams's aggressive selling style has made him a hero to his 190,000 agents and a thorn in the flesh of his industry rivals. After the Primerica buyout, he stayed on as a sales consultant and de facto leader of the insurance operation, which produces almost a quarter of Primerica's profits.
- On July 20, Mr. Williams stunned his followers by tearfully announcing that he was taking a leave of absence to deal with a Federal grand jury investigation in Florida. The probe, according to the company, focuses on allegations of unspecified ''bad practices'' by a Williams marketing unit; others involved in the case say prosecutors are examining whether Mr. Williams or his associates played a role in fraudulently undermining a rival's business.
- Primerica's fans among Wall Street analysts say the A. L. Williams issue is an ''aberration'' and ''an irrelevancy.'' But Mr. Picoult points out that Primerica's promising plan to use Mr. Williams's aggressive disciples to sell the products and services of other subsidiaries, including Commercial Credit, could be derailed by the current turmoil.
- Moreover, he said, ''one wonders whether the United States Attorney's investigation could lead to review of the A. L. Williams operation in other jurisdictions by various state insurance departments, given past complaints about the company.''
