Philip E. Riley, Jr., CEO of Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA), which was founded in 2003, was concerned that while government was addressing aging public infrastructure issues, there was no solution available to homeowners, whose private water and sewer lines are subjected to the same wear and tear as public service lines. SLWA initially focused on addressing the issues presented by the aging public infrastructure with local utilities. By 2009, he recognized the need for educating homeowners about their service line responsibilities at the municipal level, and began partnering with municipalities across the U.S.

With the support and endorsement of the National League of Cities (NLC), the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), the Indian National Council of Governments (INCOG) and the Local Authority Service (LAS), created by the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) in Ontario, Canada, the program is now available in more than 250 cities and municipalities across North America.

The National League of Cities Service Line Warranty Program, administered by Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) has a deep understanding of working with city officials to provide a service line warranty program that adds value and meets service expectations for the city and its residents.

SLWA and its affiliates are committed to acting with the highest level of integrity and ethics in daily interactions with clients, customers, employees, contractors and stakeholders. Business transparency and dedication to providing an exceptional customer experience has resulted in a customer satisfaction rating that has exceeded 95% for more than 10 years. SLWA’s values are deeply engrained in its employees’ work ethic and is demonstrated through their respect of others and honesty when handling daily business interactions. Humility and respect are articulated through the encouragement of listening carefully and working effectively to create a winning scenario from which all parties benefit. This approach has yielded consistently outstanding results and is why SLWA was selected as the 2013 Winner of the Western Pennsylvania Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics and the 2015 winner of the West Virginia Municipal League Conservation Award.

SLWA partnered with the NLC to bring the NLC Service Line Warranty Program to cities, towns and municipalities across the United States. Endorsement from the NLC, a highly respected ambassador for municipalities, helped establish credibility and trust in the program since its affiliation upholds the long-standing, well-respected NLC image. As a partner representing the NLC brand, SLWA is committed to both the BBB accreditation standards and those of the National League of Cities. With integrity and ethics weighing heavily in the company’s mission, vision and values, SLWA demonstrates the core fundamentals of what the BBB and the Torch Award represent.

“Considering the large customer base that Service Line Warranties of America has worked with over these past 10 years and their exemplary record at the Bureau, I’m proud to have you as an accredited business of the BBB,” said Mr. Warren King, President of the Western Pennsylvania Better Business Bureau. “There were three key things that stood out in their business philosophy – full disclosure and communication with customers, partners, vendors and staff, which are all part of the company’s daily ethical standards and values; honoring promises by providing service in the fairest and most honest way possible; and acting with integrity, which involves mutual respect, problem solving without overreaction and fair and equitable ways of ensuring complete client satisfaction.”

While all businesses are rated through the Better Business Bureau, the grade rating is merely a matrix of claims and unresolved issues. The accreditation is where the value to the consumer lies and the business practices of the company are evaluated. SLWA and its affiliates are diligent about maintaining their Better Business Bureau accreditation, which requires that the business not only work to resolve customer complaints, but also adhere to ethical and customer-oriented business practices. By partnering with a long-standing Better Business Bureau Accredited Business, the city can be confident that customers take first priority and that repairs are made to the customers’ satisfaction and in accordance with local code.

“Service Line Warranties of America assimilates integrity, ethics, trust and honesty as central values for its organization,” said Dr. James Weber, Torch Award Judge and current Professor of Business Ethics and Management, Senior Fellow and Founding Director of the Beard Center for Leadership in Ethics at Duquesne University. “This firm’s ethical employee training includes six pillars of character and emphasizes a positive approach toward the benefits of being ethical. The firm also created a Community and Employee Engagement Committee to better enable the firm to act responsibly toward the community.”