AF Specialty and Applied Surety Underwriters announce partnership

LANSING, Mich., April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AF Specialty, a division of AF Group – a Ward's 50 company whose affiliate brands are premier providers of innovative, specialty insurance solutions nationwide, and Applied Surety Underwriters announced a strategic partnership that will add capacity and strength to the Applied Surety Underwriters program as they continue to expand surety solutions across the country.

The new partnership provides access to AF Group's strong AM Best rating of "A" (Excellent") and strong U.S. Treasury listing.

"Strategic partnerships with established and highly reputable teams like Applied Surety Underwriters ensure that we continue to deliver innovative capacity solutions in a strong market," said Walter Matthews, vice president, AF Specialty. "We're excited to support the growth of specialty underwriters, especially with a team that has experienced leadership, deep industry knowledge, operational excellence and advanced technology capabilities."

The program will support commercial and contract surety programs for middle-market construction accounts and large commercial surety clients, offering tailored solutions for public and private companies, municipalities and nonprofits. It will also emphasize expertise in sectors such as heavy industry, energy and infrastructure.

"Strong carrier relationships are the backbone of the surety MGU market, and we're proud to add another high-quality partner to the platform," said Joshua Betz, president and founder, Applied Surety Underwriters. "We're looking forward to building something great with AF Specialty while continuing to support agents, brokers and clients with responsive underwriting and reliable capacity."

About Applied Surety Underwriters
Applied Surety Underwriters is a specialty provider of commercial and contract surety solutions, underwriting bonds for corporations, nonprofit organizations, and individuals. Through a disciplined, relationship-driven approach, the company delivers customized bonding programs designed to address complex risk exposures across a wide range of industries. An affiliate of United Risk Group, Applied Surety partners with leading agents and brokers nationwide and leverages "A" (Excellent) rated carrier capacity to support its clients.

About AF Specialty
AF Specialty provides fronting services and captive solutions to insurance carriers, managing general agents, reinsurance intermediaries, and captive managers seeking a fronting facility to place well-managed, turnkey commercial property and casualty programs. AF Specialty is a division of AF Group. All policies are underwritten by a licensed insurer subsidiary. For more information, visit afgroup.com. © AF Group.

Contact: 
Marissa Sura
(517) 896-3707
marissa.sura.@afgroup.com 
AFGroup.com

SOURCE AF Group