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Chicago Family Business Continues to Challenge Big Insurance Nationwide

ByEthan Lin

Oct 25, 2026

A. Schoeneman & Company’s Lincolnwood office serves the Chicago area. Photo: company website.

The insurance claim was initially denied. The eventual settlement was $1.7 million.

For the owner of a commercial property in Chicago’s Fulton Market district, the distance between those two outcomes meant more than paperwork. It meant a different financial starting point for recovery.

A. Schoeneman & Company helped pursue the claim by documenting the damage, preparing detailed estimates and assembling evidence supporting the policyholder’s position. The settlement is described in Insurance Business Review’s 2026 profile, which features the firm among its Top Insurance Claims Services for 2026.

The case captures the work behind the family-owned Chicago public adjusting firm’s reputation: examining a loss closely, building a supported claim and continuing to press the policyholder’s position when coverage or valuation is disputed.

What it takes to challenge a property insurance claim

After a fire, water loss or severe storm, the first estimate can become the number around which every recovery decision revolves. A. Schoeneman’s stated approach starts by examining how that number was reached.

The firm describes its process as detailed due diligence: categorizing damaged or lost property, assessing the policyholder’s benefits and rights, and questioning the basis of a valuation that does not reflect the documented loss.

That means organizing the claim around evidence. What property was affected? How has it been categorized? What does the policy provide? Where does the insurer’s assessment differ from the supporting records?

Through its public adjusting services, the firm helps property owners prepare and negotiate claims involving fire, water, weather damage and business interruption. Its role is to represent the policyholder in the adjustment process.

For commercial owners, that work can involve more than damage to the building. Equipment, contents, lost income and interrupted operations may also require evaluation, depending on the policy and the circumstances of the loss.

A Greensboro fire claim grew more than fourfold

The company reports another substantial recovery after a printing-press fire at a printing business in Greensboro, North Carolina.

According to A. Schoeneman, the insurer initially assessed the claim at $700,000. The final recovery exceeded $3 million — more than four times that initial assessment.

For the firm, the connection between Greensboro and Fulton Market is the process: investigate the loss, organize the affected property, evaluate available policy benefits and challenge an assessment with supporting documentation.

The results are specific to those claims. Coverage, policy terms and the facts of a loss determine what may be recoverable; neither case establishes an expected settlement for another property owner.

Three generations behind a Chicago family name

Founded by Allen Schoeneman, the firm grew into a three-generation family business with roots in Chicagoland. Today, CEO Ron Schoeneman and managing partner Mitchell Schoeneman continue that legacy.

Portraits: company website.

Mitchell’s background in public adjusting and property restoration complements Ron’s decades of claims experience. Together, they bring both an insurance perspective and an understanding of the work involved in rebuilding.

“We’re big enough to handle any claim but small enough to give every client the individual attention they deserve,” Ron told Insurance Business Review.

That personal accountability matters when a claim affects a business, a rental property or a family home. Owners need someone who can explain the evidence, communicate the next step and stay involved as negotiations progress.

A closer look before the next recovery decision

A. Schoeneman serves commercial, residential, industrial and multifamily property owners throughout Chicagoland and in other markets where authorized. Its work includes significant property losses, disputed valuations and denied insurance claims.

For owners facing a difficult claim, the Fulton Market and Greensboro examples offer a practical reason to look closely at the assessment and the documentation behind it.

Property owners can request a free claim review to discuss their loss and the firm’s approach. For a business built around a family name, each claim is another opportunity to earn the next referral.

Media Contact:
Business Name: A. Schoeneman & Co.
Contact Name: Mitch Schoeneman
Email: [email protected]
Country: United States
Website: https://aschoeneman.com

Ethan Lin

One of the founding members of DMR, Ethan, expertly juggles his dual roles as the chief editor and the tech guru. Since the inception of the site, he has been the driving force behind its technological advancement while ensuring editorial excellence. When he finally steps away from his trusty laptop, he spend his time on the badminton court polishing his not-so-impressive shuttlecock game.

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