One of Liberty Mutual's most rapidly growing business segments is Regional Agency Markets (RAM), a $3 billion organization of regional insurance companies, which distributes small commercial and personal P&C insurance exclusively through independent agents.

"Most of our policyholders, when you ask them where they’re insured, will name their independent agent, rather than the insurance company," said Jan McWhirter, territory manager, Indiana Insurance, a 150-year-old RAM company. "That's why we work so hard to anticipate, and fulfill, our independent agents' needs."

McWhirter is shown here with Dennis Feldhaus, senior account executive for Evansville, Indiana-based ONB (Old National Bank) Insurance, one of the largest agencies in Indiana, at the offices of policyholder Bernardin Lochmueller & Associates, Inc., a large, locally based engineering firm.

"Just as Indiana Insurance is selective in terms of the agents it does business with, we're careful as to where we place our business," added Feldhaus. "We want a high-touch insurer that knows our region. It's no coincidence that our relationship with Indiana Insurance – our largest – goes back 80 years."