its US insurance subsidiary has added several new insurance units to its organisation. These would provide additional insurance products to the specialty insurance marketplace.

The company's domestic insurance programme development and management group, formerly known as Synergy Insurance Services, Inc., has been renamed American Safety Insurance Services, Inc. (ASIS) to provide closer identity to all the ASIG companies.

The subsidiary's insurance operations have been divided into the specialty insurance services division, headed by Joseph Scollo, Sr., vice president of operations; and the programme insurance services division, headed by Steve Crim, executive vice president.

The specialty insurance services division includes the existing environmental insurance unit, workers compensation unit and surety group, and a new excess and surplus lines group, which will develop specialty risk business in the excess and surplus lines marketplace.

The programme insurance services division includes the existing programme business group, a new commercial lines group and a new professional employer organisation (PEO) business development group. The new commercial lines group will enable the company to provide a broad range of commercial property and casualty coverages to existing and new specialty risk markets.

The PEO business development group will be responsible for the development and marketing of specialty insurance and other products and services to the company's growing list of professional employer organisations and employee leasing and staffing industry clients.

ASIS has also announced the addition of a number of senior insurance managers to its staff.

In the commercial lines group, George Khalid, formerly director of commercial lines with Vesta Insurance Company, has been named underwriting manager, and John Blake, formerly regional manager/team leader with Vesta Insurance Company, has been named commercial lines regional underwriting manager.

In the excess and surplus lines group, Peter Bishop, formerly senior vice president with Acceptance Risk Managers, has been named underwriting manager.

Peter Hildebrand, formerly vice president of claims and regulatory affairs with Vesta-Shelby Insurance Companies, has been named vice president, claims.

Jeffrey Hood, formerly senior vice president of claims and loss control with American Safety has been named senior vice president, technical services, overseeing claims, loss control and regulatory operations.

Dan Love, who previously served as vice president of claims and marketing for American Insurance Agencies, has been named surety manager of American Safety's surety group.

Mark Kirch, formerly a principal and vice president of surety underwriting of American Insurance Agencies has been named surety underwriting manager.

Tom Rudd, formerly director of compliance, corporate underwriting with Zurich Commercial has been named regulatory manager for American Safety.

Announcing these new groups and staffing additions, Lloyd Fox, president and chief executive officer of ASIG, said: "We are extremely pleased and proud to have added an excellent group of senior insurance managers to our domestic operations. These individuals bring many years of insurance experience and expertise to American Safety.'' He continued: "These management additions, combined with the establishment of the specialty insurance services division and the programme insurance services division, will enable our companies to provide additional products and services to our specialty insurance operations areas and continue the growth in premium and profitability.'' Mr. Fox concluded: "Together with the prior establishment of our financial services group, American Safety Financial Corp, and our branch underwriting office capability in Chicago, Illinois, we are poised to continue our growth and success.'' American Safety Insurance Group, Ltd. is a specialty insurance and financial services company which, through its subsidiaries, develops, underwrites, manages and markets primary casualty insurance and reinsurance programs in the alternative insurance market for environmental risks, employee leasing and staffing industry risks, and other specialty risks, as well as providing a broad range of financial services and products to middle market businesses.