While it is uncommon for contractors and project owners to place property and casualty insurance and surety with one carrier, there are great benefits to going ‘all in’, say BHSI’s John Roe and Geo Delisio.
Why is the practice of using the same carrier for property and casualty such a rarity?
Most insurers have a legacy of rigid silos separating surety and property and casualty insurance. But silos are not conducive to holistic solutions and broader partnerships.
At Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), we don’t have silos. Our surety, property and casualty underwriters and claims team mates converse and collaborate regularly, learning from each other and looking holistically at ways to improve our customer’s overall business and programs.
Placing surety and insurance with one carrier can give everyone a higher level of comfort and understanding of the risk.
When BHSI provides a surety, it is a major vote of confidence in the company and its financial and business management. It is also indicative of sound investment and management in key areas such as safety, contractual risk management, and technology.
Our insurance underwriters recognise this – which can translate to better terms and conditions for the surety’s insurance programs.
ONE BIG FAMILY
Customers also benefit from having a carrier with well-rounded knowledge of their business, and a broader view of the partnership.
The strength of the relationship is further amplified when both the company’s surety and insurance buyers – the chief financial officer and risk manager – have vital relationships with the same carrier.
The uncertainty and volatility in the construction industry make such strong partnerships more important than ever.
The industry continues to be hit hard by the ongoing rise in nuclear verdicts. The forces driving these verdicts, including social and economic inflation and third-party litigation funding, show no signs of abating.
The stronger the overall insurer-customer relationship, the more it can help smooth volatility, reduce uncertainty in a meaningful way, and bring consistency and stability to all programs.
THE PERFECT MATCH
There is another, somewhat intangible, benefit that comes down to the cultural experience and fit.
When the insurance and surety relationships rest with one carrier, the contractors, project owners, CFOs, and risk managers involved all have the ease of working with one company whose values, culture, and business approach aligns with their needs and preferences.
BHSI has an extremely strong culture that is foundational to all we do to our every interaction with each other and with our customers and brokers.
Our culture is just as much of an asset as our strong balance sheet, underwriting excellence, and CLAIMS IS OUR PRODUCT philosophy. It’s one of the most compelling reasons why construction customers go ‘all in’ with BHSI.
They know that we will be all in with them, too.
John Roe is head of construction casualty and Geo Delisio is head of surety at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance.
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (www.bhspecialty.com) provides commercial property, casualty, healthcare professional liability, executive and professional lines, transactional liability, surety, marine, travel, programs, accident and health, medical stop loss, homeowners, and multinational insurance. The actual and fi nal terms of coverage for all product lines may vary. It underwrites on the paper of Berkshire Hathaway’s National Indemnity group of insurance companies, which hold fi nancial strength ratings of A++ from AM Best and AA+ from Standard & Poor’s.
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