After nearly two years of assessment, analysis, planning, and negotiation by Signal Mutual’s Board of Directors; our long-time, independent adjusting partners; and the Managers’ executive and claims staff, we are delighted to announce that Sage Adjusting, LLC was launched on December 3, 2018.
Sage Adjusting, LLC will consolidate four of the five independent third-party Longshore claims administration firms employed by the Association to handle its claims—Lamorte Burns, AS&G, Acclaim, and Charles Taylor TPA—integrating them into a single entity more directly aligned with and controlled by the Association and its Managers. Offshore claims specialist, Coastal Risk Services, will continue to operate independently, reporting to Sage Adjusting’s transformational leadership. This new adjusting model will provide Signal’s Membership with improved claims processes, services and outcomes at a reduced cost, via Sage’s unified claims handling platform. We welcome the nearly 100 talented, hard-working adjusters who will transition to the new company.
Sage Adjusting, LLC is the culmination of extensive effort and work over the last 18 months by numerous Signal stakeholders in the service of the Association’s Membership. It also represents a strategic investment of Signal’s available capital, and a deepening of the partnership between the Association and its Manager, Charles Taylor plc. While there is still much work to be done as Sage “goes live,” on behalf of the Managers, I want to give my sincere thanks to all the parties whose hard work and dedication have made this achievement possible.
We look forward to continuing the dialog with you on Sage. For any questions in relation to Sage Adjusting, LLC please feel free to contact myself, or Sage Adjusting’s CEO, Chris Schaffer.
Richard W. Wood
Chief Executive Officer
At Signal, we pride ourselves in having a close personal working relationship and partnership with all our Members. We are committed to getting to know each and every one of you. At the heart of this commitment, are the two Membership meetings held in winter and summer each year. These business meetings are carefully designed and structured to give every Member an opportunity to fully understand the complete workings of their Mutual, to follow the finances, and to get acquainted with the entire Board of Directors, management team, and fellow Members.
At these informative and wonderful events, we see many old friends and colleagues, and their families. We know that for many Members these meetings can represent a considerable commitment of time and expense, but I believe it is time and expense very well spent. If you have yet to attend a Signal membership meeting, I strongly encourage you to consider joining your fellow Members and the management team. For 2019, the January meeting will be held in Florida and the August meeting in Bermuda.
Signal is the number one provider of Longshore workers’ compensation in the country for a reason – the strength and quality of the Membership. Signal is not an insurance company – it is a Club, your Club.
We look forward to seeing you at the next Membership meeting.
Richard W. Wood
Chief Executive Officer
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
August 1-3, 2019
The Fairmont Southampton
Southampton, Bermuda
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The Signal Underwriting team is pleased to report on a successful 2018/19 Membership Year renewal. Despite an increasingly competitive USL&H insurance marketplace, the Association maintained an excellent Member retention ratio, an all-time high in projected payroll, and the 16th consecutive year of average cost reduction to the membership. The Underwriters conducted 172 in-person renewal meetings during August and September representing more than 70% of the membership and still found the time to quote and bind four significant new Members at October 1st. The good news extended to our reinsurance program which was renewed at an 8% rate decrease with improved breadth in coverage terms despite a less flexible London reinsurance market. Here are the headline 2018/19 MY renewal statistics:
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98.7% Member retention ratio
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$4.35 billion projected payroll, +6.2% increase over the 2017/18 projected payroll
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$209 million projected Call
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4.80% average rate, a 1.7% decrease versus prior year
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10.60% preliminary Supplementary Call estimate
I want to personally extend my thanks to the Underwriting, MSR, Claims and Safety teams. Your work ethic and teamwork are inspiring and produced the excellent result that Members and the Association have come to expect.
We are all grateful to the Signal Mutual Membership who make this Club such a uniquely successful organization. We are looking forward to seeing you and your families at the 2019 meetings. More details of the recent renewal will be provided at the upcoming General Meeting in January, and we encourage Members to take advantage of Underwriter’s Office Hours and schedule an appointment to share feedback, ask questions or even start discussing next year’s renewal!
Justin Gardner
Executive Vice President &
Chief Underwriting Officer
Know Your Manager - A Diversity and Longevity Video
Signal Mutual Indemnity Association Ltd was established in January 1986 to meet the demands of the stevedoring industry for reasonable and stable workers' compensation insurance rates, and quickly became the premier Longshore mutual in the United States.
The Membership of the Association is drawn from a broad range of employers throughout the country in the stevedoring, shipbuilding/ship repair, marine construction, professional/technical and offshore industries with reported Longshore payrolls over $4.00 billion representing over 250 companies.
The business of the Association, including membership selection, underwriting, safety resources, claims management, actuarial, regulatory requirements and financial risk management is performed by the Association's Managers, Charles Taylor (Hamilton). The day to day responsibility for these operations has been delegated to Charles Taylor's affiliate, Signal Administration, with offices in Dallas Texas, Wilton Connecticut, and Long Beach California.