carrier broker

Alliant Specialty Insurance Services, Inc.

"Alliant Specialty Insurance Services, Inc. (ASIS), is a rapidly evolving operation designed to provide the 'Unfair Advantage' in specialty program distribution," according to Jim O'Connell, vice president of program development and distribution. As a program administrator, ASIS works with its retail distributors and carrier partners to create advantaged programs that are designed to provide winning results to carrier, broker, and client. With its headquarters in Carlsbad, California, and several satellite offices, ASIS has program underwriting and distribution facilities in several niches including public entities, Indian nations, and several commercial sectors.

Alliant Specialty is a program focus point for its parent organization Alliant Resources Group, the 13th largest brokerage operation in the country. Alliant Resources Group is in the process of building a national distribution company for insurance products, reaching a broad base of middle market clients through a full spectrum of insurance and insurance-related products, enhanced carrier relationships and cross-selling support. According to ASIS CEO Tom Corbett, "ASIS will emerge as one of the premier program administrators by providing advantaged, program-based risk solutions for the middle market."

Alliant Specialty currently has several programs in place including its Public Entity Property Insurance Program (PEPIP), three separate Indian nation-related programs (for property, casualty, and workers compensation), the Waste Haulers Insurance Program (WHIP), the Hospital All Risk Property Program (HARPP), three separate public entity related casualty programs, and the Temporary Retail and Exhibitors risk purchasing group (T-REX). In addition, ASIS distributes and performs underwriting consultation for developing programs in the following areas: golf courses, public entity pools, energy service contractors, death care facilities, private self insurance groups, nonprofits and pollution.

The history of the "Unfair Advantage" began with the PEPIP program which started with 13 public entity buyers following the passage of Proposition 103 in California. Since then, ASIS and its retail distributors have used this philosophy of providing an enhanced product at a reasonable price to enable PEPIP to grow to include more than 4,500 members nationwide, Corbett says. PEPIP is a joint purchase group of insureds which is now believed to be the single largest property placement in the world. The program members tend to be cities, states, schools, universities, hospitals and/or special districts. With the combination of a dedicated ASIS underwriting staff specializing in public entity property, and limiting distribution only to retail brokers that are experts in public entities, PEPIP will continue to offer public entities the best program product available.

The Tribal First programs make ASIS the largest provider of insurance to Indian nations, according to Corbett, adding that Tribal First is the recognized industry leader in providing coverage to sovereign tribal nations, providing complete tribal insurance solutions through its nationwide broker network. Tribal First's mission is, "Through the transfer of knowledge to you the tribal government or enterprise, we enable you to increase your self sufficiency in all aspects of risk management." Deeply involved in the community they serve, the Tribal First operation believes in "Recognizing the past, while improving the future."

Alliant Specialty's Waste Haulers Insurance Program provides a package of insurance covering auto liability and physical damage, general liability and properties. This program is distributed by a specialty group of retail insurance brokers who have experience with, and are committed to, the refuse and recycling industry. Alliant Specialty's refuse haulers program is available in the Western United States with eligible classes including commercial and residential refuse haulers, roll off operations, transfer stations, material recovery facilities, and recycling, as well as other related operations such as portable toilet companies and haulers to and from transfer stations and landfills. This program is supported by a pollution program, allowing brokers to provide full spectrum solutions for environmental industries including the landfills themselves.

O'Connell is enthusiastic about Target Markets Program Administrators Association. "It is tremendously advantageous to have an association that is so focused on what we do, and that is program administration. All the members, including carriers, start out on the same wave length which makes our time together very productive," he says.

Copyright Rough Notes Co., Inc. Sep 2005
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