From small companies to large organizations, highly specialized industries to niche personal coverages, Northbridge offers insurance products for virtually every type of commercial insurance client, and more.

Small to Mid-Sized Commercial Enterprises (SME).  SME's are the largest segment of the Canadian commercial P&C insurance industry (and our largest customer group), made up largely of the local business people whom we all deal with on a daily basis. Contractors, tire dealers, store owners and various professional trades are just a few examples of the customers we insure. The SME segment makes up the majority of both Lombard’s and Federated’s businesses, both of whom usually approach this segment with a ‘package policy’ structure, combining an insured’s major coverage needs, such as property, liability and auto, into one efficient package.

Large Commercial Business. Relative to SME business, the large commercial segment consists of a much smaller number of accounts and substantially larger premium revenue per account. The complex nature of these risks and the size of the insured exposure typically require considerable expertise and risk management capabilities from an insurer. Commonwealth is one of the leading and most experienced writers of large commercial business in Canada, and Lombard has distinct expertise in this segment as well.

Specialized / Niche Commercial Business. Customizing niche insurance products for specialized industries and customer groups is an excellent way to build brand strength and customer loyalty. It provides the company an opportunity to leverage its specialized expertise, people and infrastructure to provide focused and innovative solutions. Whether it’s Markel’s focused and highly successful approach to a specialized industry group (the trucking industry), or Lombard’s custom products for purchasing groups, associations and selected niches, Northbridge remains on the cutting edge of specialized commercial business in Canada.

Personal Lines. Making up about 13% of our premiums for 2008, the personal lines segment of Northbridge’s business is heavily focused on the “over 50” market in Canada, providing personal automobile and property coverage on a stand-alone basis through Lombard. Federated also writes personal lines policies as a complement to certain commercial accounts.