EXPLANATION OF DIRECTORY TERMS

Listings in the 1998 directory of agents and brokers are based upon each company's response to a Business Insurance questionnaire.

The directory is published as an editorial service; there is no charge to be included. However, companies must generate at least $500,000 in gross revenues from commercial retail brokerage in order to be listed in the directory.

Listings begin with the address, telephone and fax number of the company.

Next, premium volume, gross revenues, and brokerage revenues for both 1997 and 1996 are listed. The brokerage revenue figures are new to the directory this year. Brokerage revenues include all revenues generated by insurance brokerage, consulting and related services, as well as any income from funds held in a fiduciary capacity. Investment income on corporate funds and revenues from services such as underwriting, investment services and real estate were excluded from the brokerage revenues.

The percentage of brokerage revenues generated from U.S.-based clients and non-U.S.-based clients is also provided. The percentage of gross revenues generated from commercial retail brokerage is listed next, followed by a breakdown in dollars as generated through U.S. offices versus non-U.S. offices. In addition, the percentages of gross revenues generated from wholesale brokerage, reinsurance brokerage, personal lines brokerage, fee-based services, investment income (earned on corporate funds) and other activities are reported.

The number of employees in insurance brokerage, consulting and related services is reported in full-time equivalent for both 1997 and 1996, as well as the number commercial retail brokerage offices for both years.

Each listing also indicates the year that the company was founded, the parent company and a breakout of the commercial retail brokerage revenues into the percentage from commissions versus the percentage from fees. The percentage of revenues derived from employee benefit business in 1997 is also provided.

Aacquisitions and mergers in 1997 and 1998 are detailed next, including the name and location of the companies involved and the month and year that the merger or acquisition took place. The names and locations of retail brokerage branch offices and non-retail brokerage subsidiaries are provided next, followed by a list of the states in which companies are licensed as excess/surplus lines brokers. Principal officers and a contact for readers seeking more information complete each listing.

If you wish to locate a company by state or country, refer to the geographical indexes at the end of the directory. Locations of home offices and retail brokerage branch offices are included in the indexes.

All figures are listed in U.S. dollars. The applicable yearly average exchange rate was used to convert figures for non-U.S. based organizations. Exchange rates are noted on the page one chart, except the following: Austrian schilling=$0.082 (FYE 12/31/97), $0.094 (FYE 12/31/96); Brazilian real=$0.926 (FYE 12/31/97), $0.990 (FYE 12/31/96); Canadian dollar=$0.720 (FYE 12/31/97), $0.733 (FYE 12/31/96), $0.712 (FYE 3/31/98), $0.734 (FYE 3/31/97), $0.731 (FYE 7/31/97), $0.735 (FYE 7/31/96), $0.729 (FYE 9/30/97), $0.733 (FYE 9/30/96); Colombian peso=$0.001 (FYE 12/31/97), $0.001 (FYE 12/31/96); Dutch guilder=$0.511 (FYE 12/31/97), $0.588 (FYE 12/31/96); German mark=$0.575 (12/31/97), $0.665 (FYE 12/31/96); Japanese yen=$0.008 (FYE 3/31/98), $0.009 (FYE 3/31/97); Mexican peso=$0.126 (FYE 12/31/97), $0.131 (FYE 12/31/96).

The information in each listing was compiled by BI based on data supplied by the agents and brokers. Although every effort is made to publish complete and accurate information, no public records are available against which to verify the information supplied by privately-held brokers.

If your company generates at least $500,000 in revenues from commercial retail brokerage but was not included in the directory, please contact Assistant Directory Editor Matt Scroggins 312-649-5483 and request a questionnaire for next year.