Liberty Northwest Drops Workers’ Comp Direct Sales for Independent Agents

Liberty Mutual Group’s Agency Markets business unit announced that one of its member companies, Liberty Northwest, has sold the renewal rights for most of its direct-sold workers’ compensation policies written in Idaho, Montana and Oregon. Going forward, Liberty Northwest will sell its new workers’ compensation policies, as well as all of its other lines of business, exclusively through independent insurance agents.

Liberty Northwest said it has agreed to sell these policy renewal rights to Western States Insurance Agency of Missoula, Mont.; Premier Insurance of Idaho; and Propel Insurance of Tacoma, Wash. Each of these agencies has extended offers of employment to all of the Liberty Northwest sales and service professionals who are already supporting the transferring policies, according to the companies.

Additionally, Liberty Northwest said it has a definitive agreement with Advantage Plus Insurance Services of Pocatello, Idaho for it to be the agency of record for direct-sold workers compensation business previously managed out of the Liberty Northwest Pocatello office.

While the transaction with Advantage Plus is effective immediately, the other transactions are expected to close by the end of June 2009.

“These transactions further solidify our belief in and commitment to the independent agency system,” said Gary R. Gregg, president of Liberty Mutual Agency Markets. “In phasing-out direct distribution, we offer a wider appetite for our Liberty Northwest agents to meet existing and new commercial customers’ full insurance needs.”

Liberty Northwest is looking to grow and expand its line of business via independent agents in Idaho, Montana and Oregon where it already has a presence. Liberty Northwest already writes workers’ compensation, as well as all of its other lines of business through the agency system.

Julie Burnett, president of Liberty Northwest, said that all of of her firm’s direct sales staff and account coordinators will be joining these agencies.

Liberty Northwest Insurance Corp. based in Portland is Oregon’s largest private workers’ compensation insurer and is a property and casualty insurer with offices throughout the Northwest.

Topics Agencies Workers' Compensation Oregon