Percent of business in Illinois: 90% commercial, 10% personal

Are your currently appointing new agents? We are appointing a select number of agencies in Illinois.

What type of agency is your company looking for? ACUITY is looking for agencies with a mainstreet business focus and a reputation for top-tier service. Rather than focus on our ranking in a particular agency, we want to be the "go to" company for our agents for the classes of business we target.

What are your premium volume requirements? We have no specific premium volume requirements, but envision that agents will write at least $1 million in business with us.

Are you currently doing any niche marketing programs? No.

What is your company's most aggressive line of business? As a large regional generalist insurer, we have a strong appetite for most mainstreet business. Additionally, artisan contractors are a particular area of experience and expertise.

Do you use credit scoring? Yes, we use credit scoring in Personal Lines on both new and renewal business. We have found it to be an accurate and impartial predictive measurement that is considered as part of our overall underwriting of an account.

Do you currently download/upload with your agencies? Yes, we interface with third-party services such as IVANS; additionally, agents can upload at our website.

What methods do you use to distribute your insurance products? We use independent agents only.

What do you think makes your company stand out from the rest in Illinois? We have been consistently recognized as a leader in service, technology, and agent partnering, including being named Company of the Year in Commercial Lines by the PIIAI of DuPage County. We have a consistent appetite for business and, with financial results that again surpassed the industry in 2002, we have proven to be a stable resource for agents.

If we had agents agree to sell homeowners policies with ACV endorsements, would you write more business in Southern Illinois? This would likely have no impact on our business writings in that region.

What are the major ways in which you are interfacing electronically with your agents today? Are you planning enhancements in these interfaces in the future? Currently, ACUITY offers a robust suite of business tools at our website, www.acuity.com. These tools allow agents to quote Personal and Commercial Lines policies using the exact rating engines our internal systems use, giving agents accurate, real-time quotes. Agents can also submit applications electronically via the website and have access to a wealth of policy information and marketing materials. Additionally, ACUITY continues to be on the leading edge of ebusiness with our agents. We have given our full support to industry initiatives toward open standards and SEMCI, such as IVANS's Transformation Station. Currently, Transformation Station allows Wisconsin users of Applied Systems' TAM to quote and apply for Personal Lines policies with ACUITY directly from TAM, and this function will be rolled to Illinois soon.

Please list your Marketing Representatives and describe the territory they cover. Lon Belich, Entire State