Percent of Business in Illinois by Line:
Commercial: 70% Personal: 30%

Are you currently appointing new agents? Yes. We are currently considering new appointment opportunities throughout Illinois.

What type of agency is your company looking for? Unitrin seeks established, profitable agencies producing at least $2 million or more in combined personal and commercial lines premium volume. We prefer agencies operating with efficient agency management systems with the capability of interfacing web-based applications. Prospective agencies should have well-trained and experienced sales and service staff.

What are your premium volume requirements? The minimum premium volume necessary to participate in Unitrin's profit sharing program is $300,000 combined personal and commercial lines written premium.

Are you currently doing any niche marketing program? We are not currently offering niche-marketing programs. We focus our products and pricing to take advantage of the local markets served by our independent agencies.

What is your company's most aggressive line of business? Unitrin offers a variety of multi-line products, with emphasis on personal auto and commercial multi-peril package policies.

Do you use credit scoring? Yes, we offer a credit-scored, point-of-sale personal auto program in Illinois, which has been very favorably received by our independent agency force.

Do you currently download/upload with your agencies? Yes. We offer download, and upload is available through a SEMCI interface as well as through a proprietary internet-based program.

What methods do you use to distribute your insurance products? Unitrin offers multi-line insurance products exclusively through independent agencies in Illinois.

What makes your company stand out from all the rest in Illinois? Why would an agent want to contract with your company? Unitrin Multi Lines Insurance is a network of 13 regional insurers ranking among the 100 largest property and casualty organizations in the United States. We offer a financially secure market for our agents and their customers. Our financial strength, combined with consistency of underwriting, brings dependability and stability as a company to agents. We support the sales and service efforts of our agencies through a well-trained and experienced regional underwriting staff, a quality claims operations located in Bloomington, Illinois, and through excellent loss control, marketing, and agency automation personnel - all located within the state. Unitrin also offers a highly-acclaimed Personal Service Center for agencies looking for help in servicing their personal lines business so they can spend more time building new revenue for their agency.

If we had agents agree to sell homeowners policies with actual cash value endorsements, would you write more business in southern Illinois? We currently write the same homeowners form throughout the state.

What are the major ways in which you are interfacing electronically with your agents today? Are you pleased with the results? We offer download and upload through SEMCI interface, as well as a proprietary Internet program, and have had excellent results.