W. Brown & Associates Property and Casualty Acquires Vulcan Excess and Surplus

Multiline insurance broker W. Brown & Associates Property and Casualty has acquired Vulcan Excess and Surplus Insurance in a deal closing May 1, the company said. Terms were not disclosed.

John Krebs, president of the property/casualty side of W. Brown, said Vulcan is an independent, small wholesaler working almost exclusively in the San Bernardino area east of Los Angeles. "They had limited markets to place business with…. With the markets that we have that they don't have, we hope they'll be able to write a lot more business with the agents they've worked with."

Krebs noted that W. Brown specializes in property/casualty, placed mostly in California; and a larger, national division specializing in placing U.S. general aviation insurance. Brown's aviation unit works through an exclusive arrangement with Catlin Insurance Co., according to Brown's website.

Krebs said his division has about 20 employees and wrote about $25 million in business last year. The aviation division, he said, has more than 40 employees and wrote about $180 million in business.

Brown's website said it writes both traditional 100% aviation policies as well as quota-share coverage through Catlin, with hull limits up to $25 million and liability limits up to $300 million. The brokerage also places property/casualty coverage for commercial accounts, as well as pollution, earthquake, directors and officers' insurance and employment liability policies.

Catlin Insurance Co. operates as a specialty admitted company in the United States and is a subsidiary of Catlin Group, a Bermuda-based holding company. CIC has an A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent).

Krebs said several Vulcan executives, including President Brad Snow, his wife Gina Snow and Renewal Underwriter Linda Hinshaw, will join Brown's staff and continue to service the accounts of former Vulcan clients.

Brown, based in Irvine, Calif., was founded in 1987 by Bill Brown and his partners, all with experience in aviation insurance. Brown added a property/casualty division in 1988 and a commercial auto unit three years later. The founder died in 2008.

Vulcan, based in San Bernardino, placed commercial excess and surplus cover for apartment and office buildings, restaurants, contractors' risks and equipment. It also handled D&O, E&O and EPLI placements.

(Dennis Gorski, Best's Review managing editor)