Zurich North America Continues Conversation on Rebuilding Infrastructure, Emphasizing Economic Impact to U.S. Businesses, Need for Sustainable, Resilient Solutions

SCHAUMBURG, Illinois, May 15 -- Zurich Insurance, a property-casualty insurance company, issued the following news release:

ZurichNorth America is busy this week talking about rebuilding America'sinfrastructure as part of Zurich's involvement in "Infrastructure Week 2018." Infrastructure Week is a nationalweek of events, education and advocacy efforts to elevate infrastructure as acritical issue impacting all Americans. Zurich is especially concerned aboutthe economic impact that the debilitated state of our nation's roads, bridges,rail, airports, water systems - and more - is having on U.S. businesses; and isfocusing on the need for sustainable and resilient solutions.

"Recentstudies indicate every dollar spent rebuilding or improving buildings to meetstronger building codes saves four dollars in damages," said Paul Horgan, headof North America Commercial Insurance for Zurich North America. "Similarly, thecertainty that comes with sustainable infrastructure planning is a viablesolution for attracting private investment."

Zurich recently released a brief Rebuilding Infrastructure:The Need for Sustainable and Resilient Solutions, which emphasizes the need for sustainable planning andresilient building as severity and frequency of severe weather events areincreasing. "In the aftermath of a disaster, there is rarely the time to thinkbeyond recovery," the paper states. "We should be taking the time - in advance- to make sure the lights will stay on when the next disaster strikes."

OnMonday, Horgan participated in a panel Competitive, Resilient, Secure: Infrastructure for the 21st Century at the official IWEEK Kickoff at Union Station inWashington D.C. On Wednesday, Mike Fay, headof Global Accounts for Zurich Surety, will moderate a panel on Public PrivatePartnerships - P3s: The state of the market and the road ahead - How toachieve more efficient projects by sharing risk and responsibility duringthe InfraDay event at Harvard Club ofNew York City.

Zurich is a global commercial insurancecompany trusted by 90 percent of the Fortune 500 and other leading businesses,all of which depend on a strong, reliable infrastructure. Zurich is among thelargest insurance providers to the construction industry and one of the largestproviders of Surety bonds for major infrastructure construction projects aroundthe world.

"A crumbling infrastructure impacts ourcustomers and the American economy overall," added Horgan, who is a member ofthe Executive Council on Infrastructure for the Bipartisan Policy Center and amember of Partnership for New York City. "Zurich is committed to sharinginsights on this issue and helping businesses better understand the impacts andrisks that affect them."

More infrastructure information is availableon Zurich's dedicated webpage Challengesof our Nation's Aging Infrastructure.