AIX Group and Barney & Barney Join Forces on Workers' Compensation and Automobile Dealer Programs

News provided by

Apr 26, 2010, 01:33 ET

WINDSOR, Conn., April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AIX Group, Inc., a specialty insurance carrier and subsidiary of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG), today announced that it has formed a partnership with B&B Programs, a division of Barney & Barney LLC.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051031/NEM023LOGO )

Under the arrangement, AIX is underwriting two of B&B Programs' existing programs, Elite Comp and Dealer Advantage.

Elite Comp is a workers' compensation program that focuses on high-wage, low-turnover industries, such as technology, biotech manufacturing, along with medical and legal services. The program helps ensure that companies can protect their employees, and manage the expense when an accidental illness or injury occurs. The distinctive suite of coverages includes employer's liability stopgap, voluntary workers' compensation, coverage for unintentional failure to disclose hazards, and much more.

Dealer Advantage serves the diverse needs of the automobile dealer industry, offering all lines of coverage for car and truck dealerships. With extensive experience working with dealerships, B&B offers a customized suite of coverages, including coverage for garages, consumer complaints, drive-away collision, inventory, title errors and omissions, commercial auto, property, crime and inland marine. Both programs operate out of the state of California.

"We are very pleased to partner with B&B Programs, a world class organization with a great reputation and incredible integrity," said Jim Dunbar, vice president of underwriting at AIX Group. "The company's management, expertise, resources and overall program implementation make it second to none in the Western region. We look forward to a long and successful partnership."

"We are excited to add AIX as a valued partner to our company, enabling B&B Programs to continue to provide advantaged solutions for our program clients," said Jim O'Connell, principal of Barney & Barney and Director, Program Development. "It is a significant event for us to join forces with AIX to underwrite and distribute our Elite Comp and Dealership Advantage programs. We identified AIX as a strong partner for its commitment to quality underwriting, specialization, and its ability to support unique programs through the financial strength of The Hanover."

The programs are backed by proactive risk management practices that include guidance for claims management; claims advocacy; safety advice; contract and insurance requirement review and regulatory compliance.

About Barney & Barney, LLC

Barney & Barney, located in San Diego, CA, is one of the 40th largest brokerages in the nation with over $70M in annual revenue. They were formed in 1909 and have won many awards for excellence, including the 2006 National Commercial Agency of the Year by National Underwriter. B&B Programs was formed in 1998 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barney & Barney LLC. B&B Programs provides a collaborative solution to brokers and their buyers, based on strategic and measurable results. Combining specialized loss control and risk management, B&B Programs has a demonstrable history of profitable sharing with carrier partners.

About AIX Group, Inc.

AIX Group, a subsidiary of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG), is an insurance holding company with executive offices in Windsor, Conn. AIX was founded in 2005 by five insurance industry veterans to fill a need in the under-served market of specialty program insurance business. This sector includes traditional first dollar programs, risk retention groups, rent-a-captive facilities, group and association captives and hybrid collateral structures. The company had gross written premiums of $175 million in 2009, and has an "A XIV" (Excellent) rating with A.M. Best Company. AIX Group employs approximately 150 people in four U.S. locations: California, Connecticut, Florida and New York.

SOURCE The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.