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I am not directly appointed with any commercial insurance companies. I am looking for a way to write Course of Construction business as well as other types. Any companies in California that I can write through. I would like to be able to write business with multiple commercial insurers. Any help would be great.

Thank you,
Brian

Yours is a pretty common plight as there are so many small to medium size shops out there who just cannot provide the massive amounts of business that many standard commercial carriers require to contract with them.

For commercial lines, most producers like you work with wholesalers who have both admitted and nonadmitted "A" rated markets as well as some fringe carriers to use when absolutely needed. The wholesalers build up books with, for instance, several admitted COC carriers so that you, their client, get the benefit of their volume and leverage. Many of the wholesalers will also be MGA's so you also get the use of their inhouse binding authority. Today there are even some consolidators who hit all markets. Consolidators are wholesalers who have reciprocity agreements with other wholesalers. They work with each other and provide each other with markets that they might not have directly. That way your friendly local, but small wholesaler can access the entire market and give you fast service that your huge wholesalers cannot.

Since much of the CA commercial market is still contractor oriented, the standard carriers are only a large factor in a minority of areas. With the softening of the market, they will expand but the wholesale market will compete. In doing so, that greatly benefits you and you actually gain rather than lose by using a wholesaler or consolidator.

Brian

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