XL Insurance and Keith D. Peterson & Company Announce New Underwriting Agreement to Serve the Forest Products Industry

EXTON, Pennsylvania and SHREVEPORT, Louisiana, May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- XL Insurance, the global underwriting operations of XL Group (NYSE: XL), and Keith D. Peterson & Company, Inc., a specialized program administrator, today announced a new joint underwriting agreement to provide comprehensive insurance coverage to the forest products industry.

According to Quinnon Purvis, President of XL Insurance's North America Programs unit, "Keith D. Peterson & Company has built a strong reputation helping forest product businesses find effective risk management solutions that spans decades.  We admire that kind of long term commitment and deep understanding of their clients' operations. It's the key to delivering insurance programs that will meet the forest products industry's needs now and in the future."

"No industry remains stagnant and the forest products industry is no exception.  As their industry and their business cycles change, insurance needs change too," said Dee Peterson, Executive Vice President of Keith D. Peterson & Company.  "By staying on top of industry developments and market cycles that drive our clients' risk management needs, we are able to provide a very tailored risk management approach. We are very pleased to forge a partnership with a company like XL Insurance that values that industry focus as much as we do."

"We are looking forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Keith D. Peterson & Company," added Mr. Purvis.  "By working with program administrators who have dedicated and proven expertise in the markets they serve, we continue to build out our capability to meet the exclusive insurance needs of niche industries with quality coverage and appropriate industry-specific loss prevention and claims services."

Keith D. Peterson & Company provides tailored insurance programs of the forest product industry which represents a wide range of businesses, including cabinet manufacturers, sawmills, lumberyards, and furniture manufacturers, to name a few. Available coverages include Property, Inland Marine, Commercial General Liability and Commercial Automobile. The program will be provided by XL's Indian Harbor Insurance Company, Greenwich Insurance Company and their affiliates.

About Keith D. Peterson & Company

Keith D. Peterson & Company, Inc. has provided comprehensive coverage for all facets of the forest products industry through insurance agencies and brokers since 1939. We provide innovative insurance programs and services to manufacturers, processors and building materials dealers within the forest products industry.  With offices in Shreveport, Louisiana and Richmond, Virginia, we write insurance for woodworking accounts throughout the United States.  More information is available at www.keithdpeterson.com.

About XL Insurance

XL Insurance is the global brand used by XL Group plc's insurance companies and underwriting divisions offering property, casualty, professional and specialty insurance products throughout the world. More information about XL Insurance is available at www.xlinsurance.com.   XL was formed in 1986 in response to the unmet risk management needs of 68 of the world's largest companies. This year, as XL celebrates its 25th anniversary, it remains the company clients look to for innovative insurance and reinsurance solutions for their most complex risks.  XL Group plc, through its subsidiaries, is a global insurance and reinsurance company providing property, casualty, and specialty products to industrial, commercial, and professional firms, insurance companies and other enterprises on a worldwide basis. Its principal offices are located at No. 1 Hatch Street Upper, 4th Floor, Dublin 2, Ireland. More information about XL Group plc is available at www.xlgroup.com

SOURCE XL Insurance