INScompanies Blog

Frankenmuth Insurance Company was named for the thirteenth time in fifteen years to the Ward’s 50 Benchmark Group of outstanding insurers in the United States by Ward Group, a management consulting firm specializing in the insurance industry.

Ward Group analyzes over 2,900 property-casualty insurers annually and identifies 50 top-performers to serve as the benchmark against which all others are measured. These 50 are selected for their outstanding financial results over a five-year period, and Frankenmuth Insurance again earned a spot.

Notably, only eleven of the 50 insurers named to Ward’s 2005 group, including Frankenmuth Insurance, have been recognized thirteen or more times since the list’s inception in 1990. Mr. Jeff Rieder, Partner of Ward Group, explains, “This is a testament to Frankenmuth Insurance Company’s consistent financial stability. They maintain, over the long-term, outstanding results to the benefit of their clients.”

Gerald L. Stanton, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Frankenmuth Insurance, defers credit for the company’s latest accomplishment. “I’ve said it before and it bears repeating. Credit for our thirteenth appearance on the Ward’s 50 Benchmark list goes to our professional and dedicated employees and independent agents. Their effort and a fiscally conservative corporate philosophy enable us to provide the stable financial platform our policyholders depend on.”

Frankenmuth Insurance Company began as the German Frankenmuth Aid Association in 1868 to protect the property of its 200 members against the peril of fire. Many years-and hundreds of thousands of policies-later, Frankenmuth Insurance Company now actively writes business in seven states with plans to add two more by year-end. Please learn more about Frankenmuth Insurance Company by visiting your local independent insurance agent. Also, learn more about Ward Group and Ward’s 50 Benchmark Group of Insurers by visiting http://www.wardinc.com/.

Michigan-based property and casualty insurer, Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company, part of the Frankenmuth Financial Group, announced it has entered into a merger agreement with Patriot Mutual Insurance Company, a Maine-based property and casualty insurer.

The agreement reached between the parties describes a two-step transaction. Initially, Patriot Mutual will enter into a mutual holding company reorganization, become a wholly owned stock company of the mutual holding company, and change its name to Patriot Insurance Company. Secondly, the mutual holding company will merge into Frankenmuth, with Frankenmuth as the surviving company. At the conclusion of these transactions, Patriot Insurance Company will be a Maine domiciled wholly owned subsidiary of Frankenmuth. Completion of these transactions is subject to the customary regulatory and member approvals.

Gerald L. Stanton, Frankenmuth’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “The merger with Patriot provides Frankenmuth a great opportunity to expand in the Northeast through an existing company having both local market expertise and strong relationships with its professional independent agency force. Frankenmuth plans to couple Patriot’s strengths with its financial strength, A+ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best, and industry recognized state-of-the-art technological capabilities to enable Patriot to grow its existing personal lines business and to efficiently and effectively execute a commercial lines strategy offering products that meet the needs of policyholders. As a result, Patriot will be a more valuable insurance carrier for the region’s consumers and professional independent agents. The merger is also intended to improve Patriot’s A.M. Best rating, with Frankenmuth’s A.M. Best rating of A+ (Superior) being unaffected.”

About Frankenmuth
Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1868, is a Michigan-domiciled property and casualty insurance company licensed in 47 states. Frankenmuth writes both personal and commercial lines in ten states through 450 professional independent agencies. As of and for the year ended December 31, 2005, Frankenmuth’s policyholders’ surplus and written premiums approximated $286 million and $363 million, respectively.

About Patriot
Patriot Mutual Insurance Company was incorporated as Blue Alliance Mutual Insurance Company in 1966. Today, Patriot is licensed and writes primarily personal lines business in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont through 100 professional independent agencies. As of and for the year ended December 31, 2005, Patriot’s policyholders’ surplus and written premiums approximated $19 million, and $37 million, respectively.

January, 2005

Armed with an A. M. Best A+ rating and the financial strength, history and technology of Frankenmuth Financial Group, Ansur America Insurance Company brings new breath and opportunity to insurance markets in Georgia and Tennessee.

Ansur America, a wholly-owned stock subsidiary of Frankenmuth Insurance Company, was founded under the philosophy of providing unequaled service through leading-edge technology, conservative management and 136 years of experience. The result is a revolutionary concept blending the time-tested independent agency system with the power of e-commerce.

Ansur will serve like no other company can.

Real-time quote and issuance capability
24-hour access to policy, claims & billing information
Data bridging from our website to agency management systems
Comprehensive package and monoline insurance products
More

Ansur America has gained a foothold in Georgia thanks to appointment of some of the state’s finest independent agencies. Tennessee will soon follow with the recent addition of field management personnel to the Ansur staff.

Ansur America looks forward to meeting the insurance needs of Georgia and Tennessee’s business community in 2005 and beyond.

January, 2006

Frankenmuth Insurance Company and its subsidiary, Ansur America, continue to grow in premium, policyholders’ surplus and new states. We are pleased to announce that we will be entering two new markets: North Carolina and South Carolina.

We have built a reputation of reliability and strength, thanks to an A.M. Best A+ rating and the superior technological support and guidance of Frankenmuth Financial Group. Frankenmuth Insurance and Ansur America are vital and growing companies that pride themselves on exceptional service, the latest in e-commerce innovation and a solid history based on 137 years of exceeding the needs and expectations of our policyholders.

By adhering to these tenets, Frankenmuth Insurance Company and Ansur America are bringing new ideas and opportunities to the insurance market in Georgia and Tennessee, and we want to do the same for the Carolinas. With the help of our knowledgeable field management personnel, we will be appointing new independent agency partners to help establish profitable and successful relationships in North Carolina and South Carolina.

We are excited to enter these diverse and challenging markets and look forward to introducing our financial strength, franchise value and partnership to the insurance marketplace.