Broker Spotlight

J.M. Wilson Celebrating 100 Years

J.M. Wilson is a third generation, family-owned Managing General Agency (MGA) and Surplus Lines Broker founded in 1920 – celebrating 100 years! They provide independent insurance agents access to ‘A’ rated carriers for Commercial Transportation, Property & Casualty, Brokerage, Marine, Personal Lines and Surety.

Relationships are Key

Experienced and knowledgeable, J.M. Wilson underwriters are a resource for independent agents. The relationships built by underwriters and the agency relations teams are critical – and the customer experience doesn't end there. Support teams also know how important their roles are to the success of the agents served and carriers represented. Insurance has always been a relationship business, which is why establishing long-term partnerships and providing the best possible experience in the E&S marketplace is a foundation to the company culture.

Longevity and Growth

J.M. Wilson is excited to be celebrating their centennial anniversary this year! They’ve earned an outstanding reputation in this industry and have been recognized as a 5 Star MGA by Insurance Business America. Over the past twenty years, the MGA has grown from serving 7 states to serving forty with physical offices in 8 states and plans for continued expansion.

Quick Quotes

J.M. Wilson prides itself in being accessible using an agent’s preferred method. Whether that means a phone quote, using the submit a risk form on the website or submitting an application via email, an agent can expect to receive confirmation within 24 hours with either a quote or a status update. J.M. Wilson also provides an online portal to access various carriers’ rating programs.

Here to Help

For more information, agents can contact the Sales and Agency Relations Specialist, Wendy Wotring at 1.877.361.9475 or by email at wwotring@jmwilson.com or contact Branch/ Underwriting Manager, Debbie Martinez at 1.800.595.0063 or by email at dmartinez@jmwilson.com.

More information may also be found on the company's website at jmwilson.com. 1920 JM Wilson Corporation is founded as a wholesale bond writer.

1948 JM Wilson becomes an MGA and also begins offering property & casualty, personal lines, and standard classes of business.

1987-88 David Wilson, son of Paul and grandson of James M. Wilson Sr. is appointed President of JM Wilson. The home office moves from Kalamazoo, MI to the current location in Portage, MI.

2020 Named a Five-Star and an All-Star MGA by Insurance Business America, JM Wilson celebrates its 100th year! u

Company Briefs

Vertafore Acquired by Roper Technologies

Vertafore has announced that it will be acquired by Roper Technologies, Inc. a leading diversified technology company, in a $5.35 billion deal. Vertafore provides cloud-based software for the property-casualty insurance market. More than 20,000 agencies and 1,000 insurance carriers use Vertafore's software.

The InsurTech's name, brands and office locations will not change as a result of the transaction and Vertafore CEO Amy Zupon will continue to lead the company, according to a statement.

Roper Technologies operates approximately 45 independent businesses that design and develop software and engineered products for a variety of niche end markets.

Comm. Mainda on NAIC Committee on Race and Insurance

This summer, Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner, Hodgen Mainda, was appointed to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Special Committee on Race and Insurance. The group held

its initial meeting virtually on September 17 and Mainda and the Committee were featured in a recent Insurance Journal article about the meeting. Mainda, an African American and native of Nairobi, Kenya, addressed the group saying in part, “Put the politics aside. This is about human beings and being inclusive and being accepting of people for who they are.”

The Committee’s goals include analyzing the level of diversity and inclusion within the insurance sector, engaging with a broad group of stakeholders on issues related to race and diversity, and access to the insurance sector and insurance products, determining which barriers exist in the insurance sector that potentially disadvantage people of color and, to make recommendations by year end regarding action steps.

Campbell Joins RT Specialty

Joe Campbell has joined the RT Specialty team in Nashville as a broker. Campbell has been in the industry since 2016 and was formerly a professional liability broker with CRC Insurance Services. He will now focus on professional liability and casualty lines with RT.

Along with offering workers’ compensation and employers’ liability insurance, Stonetrust works to help companies prevent accidents and remain

Stonetrust Safe – an entire system of in-house

processes and services designed to achieve safety

goals and keep premiums and claim costs down.

At our core, we are a relationship-driven company and

are always working hard to be the “first choice” workers’

compensation carrier in all of our markets.

800.311.0997 STONETRUSTINSURANCE.COM

Liberty Mutual recently announced that the company has named Marc Orloff as president, North American field operations, global risk solutions, replacing Shaun Kelly, who has decided to leave the company. Orloff, who will report to Tracy Ryan, president, GRS North American, will continue to oversee these areas and add Liberty Mutual client engagement program, distribution strategy and analytics, and marketing and brand strategy to his portfolio, Liberty Mutual said in its statement.

Cowbell Cyber Expanding to Tennessee

Cowbell Cyber has announced that their Prime 100 standalone cyber insurance program is admitted and live in 18 states and will be entering the Tennessee market soon.

Prime 100 is designed for small and mid-size businesses with up to $100 million in revenue. As a standalone program, Prime 100 delivers policies customized to every businesses’ needs with comprehensive coverages not offered by breach endorsements.

Contact Territory Account Manager Matt Valentine at matt@ cowbellcyber.ai or 804.212.9033 for more info.

Sonksen and Ziegler-Wolfe Join Selective Ins.

Selective Insurance has announced that Angie Sonkson, CIC, AU has joined the company as an Agency Management Specialist for East Tennessee. She brings a wealth of experience through her diverse insurance background. With over 15 years in the industry, Angie has held roles in agency marketing & account management, carrier marketing, and commercial underwriting.

The company also announced that Diane Ziegler-Wolfe, CPCU, CIC, AU, AIS has joined the Southern Region Field Operations Team as an Agency Management Specialist handling Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. She has over 25 years of experience in the industry, most recently as a commercial territory manager for Nationwide.

Harford Mutual Employees Help Community

Ten employees of Bel Air, Maryland-based Harford Mutual Insurance donated their accrued personal paid time off (PTO) to various charitable organizations, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Maryland Food Bank, Catholic Charities of Baltimore, Living Legacy Foundation, Phoenix Wildlife Center, The Emma Clare Foundation, and United Way of Central Maryland. The donations totaled $12,764. Baton Rouge-based Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Company announces the hiring of Jeff Skaggs as Senior Vice President of Underwriting and Marketing, Dawn Boniol as Manager of Compliance, Quality Control and Claims Support, and Richard Perkins as Loss Prevention Outreach Coordinator.

Skaggs was formerly Chief Operating Officer for Empyrean Management Services and prior to that he was the Senior Vice President of Policyholder Services and Agency Relations at LWCC.

Boniol was formerly a Claims Operations Supervisor with LWCC and a Claims Team Leader with Progressive Security Insurance Company.

Perkins was formerly the Safety Services Manager and Outreach Coordinator at LWCC and he has more than 26 years of safety and consulting experience.

ACUITY Named to Forbes Best Employer List

Acuity has been named to Forbes’ list of America’s Bestin-State Employers 2020 and is ranked at #8 in the state of Wisconsin. America’s Best-in-State Employers were identified based on an independent survey from a vast sample of 80,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 500 people.

The study assessed each company across the categories of Atmosphere and Development, Company Image, Working Conditions, Salaries and Wages, and Diversity. Employees were not consulted via their employers and were surveyed anonymously through several online panels.

Wagner Named as "Woman of Influence"

Jill Wagner Kelly, Integrity Insurance President and Grange Insurance EVP, Chief Distribution and Affiliate Officer has been recognized as a woman of influence in the corporate leader category by Insight Magazine.

Insight Magazine’s inaugural Women of Influence Awards shines a light on the impact women in northeast Wisconsin are making based on leadership, career achievements and community involvement. Selected by a panel of judges, Wagner Kelly joins seven other winners from a diverse group of women and industries.

Central Names Pfeifer Sr. VP of Underwriting

The Central Insurance Companies have announced that Jocelyn Pfeifer, CPCU, CIC, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Underwriting. Pfeifer will lead the entirety of the company's underwriting organization: Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Loss Control and Underwriting Operations. u

Partners Spotlight... ...continued from page 30 and that now include almost 700,000 customers in the U.S. We sell exclusively through independent agents to cover auto, home, business and life.

Haulers Insurance Tennessee contact: Steve Wilkinson swilkinson@hici.net • 1.877.269.9360 www.haulersinsurance.com Regional P&C company offering a broad array of personal and commercial auto products.

J.M. Wilson Tennessee contact: Wendy Wotring, Sales and Agency Relations Specialist – TN, NC wwotring@jmwilson.com • 877.361.9475 J.M. Wilson is a third generation, family owned MGA and Surplus Lines Broker founded in 1920 – celebrating 100 years! Writing in 40 states, we provide independent agents access to ‘A’ rated carriers for Commercial Transportation, P&C, Brokerage, Marine, Personal Lines and Surety. We know insurance agents have choices. It's our goal to establish relationships and provide the best possible experience for you to place business in the E&S marketplace.

KeyRisk | A Berkley Co. Tennessee contact: Chad Rayburn, Regional Director crayburn@keyrisk.com • 336.605.7364 www.keyrisk.com Delivering innovative and responsive workers comp solutions that provide our clients the freedom to do what they do best.

Method Insurance Tennessee contact: Anita Johnson ajohnson@methodinsurance.com • 615-675-0861 www.methodinsurance.com Method Insurance is a Program Administrator for agents who need a solution for challenging and high hazard workers' compensation risks. We focus on exceptional service, quick turnaround time, and strong communication. We represent multiple A+ rated carriers who provide long-term partnerships with independent insurance agents.

MetLife Auto & Home Tennessee contact: Debbie Lazzaro dlazzaro@metlife.com • 615.812.4811 www.metlife.com Founded in 1868, MetLife has operated as a good corporate citizen for over 150 years. Demonstrating our commitment to build a more protected world for individuals, families and communities. Helping generations of people around the world and putting customers at the heart of everything we do.

Openly Tennessee contact: Leon Wright leon@openly.com www.openly.com Best-in-class homeowners insurance, fair pricing and clear coverage terms, backed by a company you can trust. Partner Platform by Strategic Insurance Software Tennessee contact: Nick Massaro nmassaro@sisware.com • 614.219.6069 www.sispartnerplatform.com Growth and Retention Agency Management Platform supporting some of the best agencies in Tennessee.

Safeway Insurance Company Tennessee contact: Matthew Faulkner mfaulkner@safewayins.com • 615.584.8400 www.safewayins.com Safeway is A rated by A.M. Best, and has been working with independent agents since 1959. We are also one of the largest privately owned insurance companies in the United States. Our success has been achieved by working with our partners to create products that meet the demand of the non-standard marketplace.

Selective Insurance Tennessee contact: Dan Schilling dan.schilling@selective.com • 423.827.2060 Company website: www.selective.com Selective Insurance, rated “A” (Excellent) by AM Best, partners with independent agents to offer standard and specialty insurance for commercial and personal risks and flood insurance. Selective’s best-in-class employees and distribution partners work together to demonstrate what it means to Be Uniquely Insured by delivering a superior customer experience.

Southern Insurance Underwriters Tennessee contact: Brad Budd bbudd@siuins.com www.siuins.com Southern Insurance Underwriters, Inc. (SIU), based in Alpharetta, Georgia is a Certified Managing General Agency serving independent agents throughout the southeast for over fifty years.

State Auto Tennessee contact: Jim Reynolds jim.reynolds@stateauto.com • 615.855.1577 www.stateauto.com Throughout State Auto's nearly 100-year history, we’ve developed a well-respected heritage and built a strong foundation. Today we have assets of $4.6 billion and write $2.0 billion in premium in 33 states. And we continue to rely on independent agents to market our products.

Swiss Re Lawyers Professional Liability Tennessee contact: Jeff Severino JSeverino@locktonaffinity.com • 913.652.7520 https://bit.ly/2EEJ1Sb Swiss Re Corporate Solutions is the exclusively endorsed Lawyers Professional Liability carrier for Insurors members.

If you work with any of these companies, brokers or vendors, we would ask that you share with them your appreciation for their support of independent agents in Tennessee. We couldn't do it without them! u

The Road Ahead for Comm. Auto

Experts Expect the Market to Continue to Firm written by Mark Gallagher, RPS

As the commercial auto insurance industry continues to struggle with a myriad of challenges that have influenced premium rates over the last decade, plus the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the current market firming is expected to continue during the second half of 2020.

While coronavirus boosted activity in some segments of transportation, it halted activity in other areas. What remains to be seen is the pandemic's effect on losses during the remainder of the year.

Insurance carriers have struggled for so long from a loss perspective, and the pandemic has allowed them to catch up a little. But it's more of a reset than an ability to lower rates and bring a soft market.

Years of underperforming combined ratios have forced insurance carriers to pass on double-digit premium rate increases, which have risen 10-15% year-over-year since 2010.

The trucking industry has influenced the rise in premium rates more than other commercial auto classes of business, due to the constant exposures of being on the road every day. Other contributing factors include an aging workforce, driver shortages, nuclear verdicts, freight demand, maintenance expenses, poor infrastructure, distracted driving and more.

In addition, there is limited capacity in the standard market, especially for distressed fleets with poor loss experience and unacceptable safety scores. This has led to a greater reliance on transportation specialists in the excess & surplus market.

The RPS U.S. Transportation Market Outlook examines industry factors affecting rates, trends across different segments, gaps in coverage and the impact of COVID-19. It also emphasizes the importance of a focus on safety to remain profitable for the long-term. Here are some highlights from the report.

Trends in Trucking

Fleets have advantages in pricing over non-fleets. While they generally have higher limits, fleets also take on more risk with higher deductibles and self-insured retentions than nonfleet companies. The size of the fleet makes a difference as well. Medium fleets of 20-50 units have greater budgets than smaller fleets to commit to safety and compliance, a key factor in reducing premium rates.

Fleets also tend to be loyal to one insurance carrier, which can lead to favorable pricing. “Long-tenured fleet clients with good loss control and professionally managed operations will typically see less of an increase in premiums," says Andrey Miterin, RPS transportation and commercial auto manager, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.

Other trends across segments of trucking include:

Dry vans are viewed more favorably by insurance carriers because they have cargo sustainability, but those hauling high-theft and high-damage items, such as electronics and pharmaceuticals, carry higher limits of $250,000$400,000. A spoilage endorsement for refrigerated haulers has a limited market due to its higher exposure. In the majority of cases, purchasing spoilage increases the cargo premium by 10 percent or more. Intermodal truckers experience high driver turnover, mainly caused by a high concentration of trucking companies located around major port areas, all competing for the same driver pool. “Drivers will switch companies based on pay structure, sign-on bonuses and better benefits," Miterin says.

Trends in Public Auto

One of the fastest-growing classes of business in public auto is non-emergency medical transportation, but due to the health risks of passengers and the safety equipment on board, it's also more challenging to place, resulting in tightened terms and conditions.

Another rapidly evolving class of business is ridesharing. While insurance carriers have been resistant to provide coverage, that may change in the near future. Insurance carriers are learning how to adapt to the trend, and as they become more comfortable, more markets will open up.

Thin profit margins prohibit many trucking companies from purchasing extra insurance protection, including cyber and excess policies, even when they know the financial consequences of refusing coverage. From telematics to back-office financial software, trucking is a present and increasing target for cyberattacks. And the biggest threat today is ransomware, according to Steve Robinson, national cyber practice leader, RPS.

Robinson advises agents to “change the narrative for cyber insurance away from data breaches and toward business continuity." This includes helping transportation clients understand their dependence on computer systems, telematics and third-party vendors, as well as the revenue that would be lost if such an attack debilitated their system for several days.

Another necessary but frequently overlooked coverage is excess insurance, brought to the forefront by the proliferation of nuclear verdicts. Even knowing the risks, not all truckers are taking advantage of this extra protection. Most small-size trucking companies only purchase excess liability coverage if required by a direct shipper of third-party logistics. And while larger fleets are more likely to carry excess, many do not—primarily due to cost, according to Miterin.

Outlook Ahead

In response to the impact of coronavirus on certain segments of transportation, insurance carriers have reduced premiums, deleted units or waved monthly minimum reporting for mileage, receipts or units. These adjustments help in the short-term, but there are also measurements agents are recommending to help transportation clients remain profitable long-term, stressing a focus on safety.

“Safety scores are the gatekeeper in determining pricing," says Mike Mitchell, area president, transportation practice, Southeast region, RPS. Poor safety scores have a detrimental effect on the driver and motor carrier company and can lead to a denial of insurance coverage or influence a jury in court.

It is pertinent for transportation companies to invest in and commit to using telematics, appoint a safety director and hire quality drivers, as well as properly document all safety measures. “When there are losses, insurance carriers want to see corrective measurements in place. They will ask: Is leadership investing time and money into long-term safety improvements or are they only implementing measures until the losses improve?" Miterin explains.

Proper documentation not only proves the client's commitment to safety and training, but it also streamlines the process to obtain insurance quotes. It is instrumental for agents to provide us with enough narrative and background on the attributes of the truck line and any improvements their clients are making to help us place their business with our carriers.

About the Author

Mark Gallagher is national transportation practice leader at Risk Placement Services (RPS). RPS is one of the nation's largest specialty insurance products distributors. u INTELLAGENTS™ INSIGHTS FOR INDEPENDENT AGENTS

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