Issues & Answers: Strength Built To Last

So Elizabeth, tell us a little bit about yourself and Merchants Bonding.

Well, I'm Elisabeth Sandersfeld.

I've been in the insurance industry for more than 25 years, spanning across Life, PNC, and now Surety.

And I've been in this role at Merchants for the past three and a half years.

Merchants is a Surety-only company.

We're structured as a mutual, headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, with offices across the country.

We write more than $300 million of premium, and we work primarily with independent agents.

And again, we're the Surety experts.

Now, Merchants has been in business since 1933.

How does the company remain successful and relevant through more than 90 years of changes in the insurance and surety markets?

I would say primarily through our relationships.

You know, we're focused on our customers, agents and the principals who buy our bonds.

Those relationships span decades.

They're multi-generational.

And the other way we stay relevant is through innovation.

We have invested heavily in technology, process innovation, innovating on bond forms, and relying on our surety expertise.

Because we're the only surety-only company in the top 10, we can rely on that industry leadership to really serve us and keep us relevant.