Crum & Forster starts West Coast construction insurance push

SAN DIEGO – Crum & Forster is looking to expand its construction contractors practice on the West Coast and in the Midwest over the next several years, following the July reorganization of the segment, said Anthony J. Pacholec, senior vice president and leader of the unit.

Crum & Forster, a Morristown, New Jersey-based unit of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., writes about $102 million in annualized construction contractors insurance premium, with about 10% of the business derived from Western states, said Medway, Massachusetts-based Mr. Pacholec.

“We are looking to expand the book within the territory by 20%,” he said during an interview at the IRMI Construction Risk Conference being held this week in San Diego.

Currently, most of Crum & Forster’s contractor business is derived from Eastern states, he said.

The drive will be led by Paul R. Anderson, assistant vice president in Crum & Forster’s head office. The insurer hired Ryan Steele as a senior underwriter in Los Angeles in June and will be looking to add more underwriting staff, Mr. Anderson said.

Key lines of construction contractors’ coverage the insurer is looking to grow are general and excess liability, auto liability and workers comp, he said.