On The Scene

Cunningham Lindsey Canada Claims Services Ltd. (Cunningham Lindsey) President and CEO Rob Seal is pleased to announce the firm’s 90th anniversary in Canada. “March 2013 marks Cunningham Lindsey’s 90th anniversary in Canada, an amazing milestone in our firm’s history,” said Rob Seal. “90 years is a very long time and a huge accomplishment for any business. I attribute this success and longevity to our employees and customers for their support and commitment that has enabled us to grow and diversify into a leading claims solutions provider here in Canada and around the world.”

Plant Hope Adjusters is proud to announce the opening of its 9^th office in Atlantic Canada. The flagship Nova Scotia office is located at Bedford within the Halifax Regional Municipality giving efficient access to all points within the province. Senior Adjuster Mike Connolly will be the principal adjuster in the Bedford office where he will be very capably assisted by Kia Moser and supported by the entire Plant Hope team. Contact information for the Nova Scotia office is:Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd.30 Damascus Road, Suite 220(Halifax) Bedford, NS, B4A 0C1Toll Free: 1-855-835-5065Fax:(902) 835-0848 e-mail: info@planthope.com

Stewart Ponton, Chairman and Founding Partner of Granite Claims Solutions, is pleased to announce that 37 years ago today he and Bryan Coleshill opened the doors of Ponton Coleshill & Associates, now Granite Claims Solutions. What started as a small, four-person operation working out of a small office in downtown Toronto has blossomed into one of the largest independent adjusting firms in Canada. “What has impressed me each and every day is how we have grown from that small office to a large national firm and still retained our focus on our clients and providing them with the highest quality independent adjusting services,” says Ponton. “We owe all our successes to each and every employee at Granite.”

In other company news, Granite Claims Solutions recently announced its acquisition of Subrogation Group Limited. “I am pleased to announce that Granite Claims Solutions has acquired Burlington-based Subrogation Group,” says Michael Holden, President and CEO of Granite Claims Solutions. “As a great resource on the recovery side of claims adjusting, their focus on providing the highest quality service for their client fits right in line and is a perfect compliment with our product offering.”

Michael Holden, President and CEO of Granite Claims Solutions, is also pleased to announce that Jean-Marc Laurin has joined the GCS team as Senior Vice President – Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Jean-Marc has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, having held senior claims and leadership roles. Most recently he held a senior operations role with a large national independent adjusting firm.

Catastrophe modelling firm AIR Worldwide has announced a new consulting service for the public sector. Public Risk Services is a new consulting service for “public sector institutions and stakeholders charged with managing catastrophe risk,” the Boston-based firm announced Tuesday.

Murray Wallace, CEO of Granite Global Solutions, announced that Ian Elliott has been promoted to President of Granite Health Solutions (GHS) effective April 1, 2013. He has been Chief Operating Officer of GHS since October 2012. Granite Health Solutions is Granite Global Solutions’ Health and Disability Management Division. GHS operates in the marketplace under the separate Sibley, TRM, and MDAC brands.

FirstOnSite was recently named as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 2012 – a national awards program from Deloitte that recognizes Canadian companies that have implemented world-class business practices and created value in innovative ways. “We are thrilled to be named one of the Best Managed Companies in Canada,” said Dave Demos, Chief Executive Officer of FirstOnSite. “Over the years we have strived to meet our commitment to excellence in customer service, employee engagement and innovation at every touch point. At FirstOnSite our core strength is our team and this prestigious award is testament to all their hard work.”

The National Post recently announced that STRONE, emergency restoration and remediation professionals, are 2012 winners of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies program. Established in 1993, this national awards program recognizes Canadian companies who implement world-class business practices and create value in innovative ways.

Itech Environmental Services is pleased to welcome Kevin Spiers to the role of Business Development Manager. Kevin brings over 20 years of experience as a recognized and respected service provider to the insurance industry, with the personal goal of always delivering at or above customer expectations.

H. Ross Totten, longtime president and CEO of Totten Insurance Group, most recently the company’s chairman and chief sales officer, will be retiring June 30, after 43 years as an insurance intermediary. “It is time for me to move on to the next stage of my life, after having had the privilege of helping to build, and lead, Totten Group in it’s first decade of service to our industry,” Totten said in his message to his colleagues.

DKI Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Schmidt as Vice President at the company. In his new role, Mr. Schmidt will oversee the strategic sales and marketing plan, as well as lead and manage business development activity. He will also direct product development, including the rollout of new products and services.

Hamilton Hospitals Assessment Centre (“HHAC”), one of Ontario’s leading, hospital-based providers of independent medical evaluation services, has announced that Peter Sutton has been appointed to lead its business development and quality control initiatives. In this role he will be responsible for expanding and strengthening relationships between insurance company personnel and the HHAC team of medical evaluation professionals.

Disaster Kleenup Canada Ltd. (DKC) announced in early April that it has completed its company name change to DKI Canada, effective immediately. This is a move that solidifies the strong relationship that the company has with its counter-part in the US. The move to rebrand as DKI Canada will assist in unifying the company message among DKI members as well as sending a unified message to the marketplace, according to the company.

Spectius Underwriting Solutions will now operate as Canadian Reports, the company announced. The name change is the result of a new partnership with leading U.S.-based underwriting services provider, US-Reports that offers the Canadian company a unique opportunity to expand its operations while establishing a national footprint for underwriting services in Canada. By operating together, the companies will be able to meet customer demands for a fully integrated North American solution for underwriting services.

Rob Reynolds, President of rcvMobile Claims Support Services Ltd, is pleased to announce an innovative property claim support service. The newly formed enterprise was created in response to the insurance claim professionals need for precise, accurate and timely on site information to support the process of settling a property loss. The professional on site assessment accurately provides the client with the origin of the loss, scope of damage and a detailed valuation of the repairs.

Paul Davis Systems Canada (PDSC) welcomes Tim Breau and Jody Dunnett to the Paul
Davis Systems franchise network. As new franchisees, Tim and Jody will be operating the Paul Davis Systems of Moncton franchise location and providing restoration services to the Moncton community and surrounding area.

Claims technology provider Symbility Solutions announced in March that its Symbility Mobile Claims app is now available for Android devices. The app aims to improve efficiency, customer service and speed during the estimation process. The app is now compatible with more devices, adding to the user experience, the company said. It also allows customers more flexibility in the property claim process, it noted.

A new slate of maximum fees and disbursements payable for services, activities or functions under Nova Scotia’s Automobile Insurance Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols Regulations will take effect on April 1. A bulletin issued in late March by the Nova Scotia’s Finance Department details the service and fee The revised diagnostic and treatment protocols for minor injuries are among the changes flowing from Nova Scotia’s Auto Insurance Reforms 2011. A fact sheet on the reforms notes the limit on pain and suffering awards for minor injuries was increased, and the definition of “minor injury” was narrowed to include only sprains, strains and certain types of whiplash-associated disorders. An independent automobile insurance review commissioned by the provincial government recommended adopting diagnostic and treatment protocols for minor injuries, based on Alberta’s model, in place since 2004, and regarded as working well.

Droughts are increasingly becoming one of the most destructive of natural catastrophes worldwide, with the number of loss-producing droughts doubling since the 1980s, but it remains an underestimated risk, notes a new report from Munich Re. Still, droughts remain an underestimated risk, notes the company’s new publication, Topics Geo 2012.Droughts are especially catastrophic because they often create conditions for wildfires, disruption of waterway traffic and can have a negative impact on the power generation industry. Although droughts seem less “spectacular” than tornadoes, hurricanes or other such catastrophes, the impact can also be longer lasting, in terms of things like food prices and often famine, the report states. Population growth worldwide also exacerbates the negative effects of drought, Munich Re notes.

The Saskatchewan government has set out $198.3 million for crop insurance in its 2013-14 budget, which it says is the largest amount set aside in the program’s history. Coverage levels under the new budget will be $194 per acre on average, the government said in a release, noting the figure is double the average in 2007. It also includes funding for the province’s share of private reinsurance. The budget also sets out $27.7 million for agricultural research, including $3 million for the Global Institute for Food Security.

The federal and Manitoba governments have lent their support to the recently created Guy Carpenter Professorship in Agriculture Risk Management and Insurance, citing the importance of advancing risk management in agriculture, which serves as economic driver in the province and across the country. “We are proud of this endeavour that has governments and industry groups, the academic community and the private sector working together to develop new risk management tools for our hardworking farmers,” federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz said.

Forecast services company ImpactWeather has released a prediction for this year’s hurricane season, suggesting that 2013 will have a series of storms more severe than last year. Based on “averages of past seasons, ocean temperature trends, and the absence of an El Nino influence from the Tropical Pacific,” the company’s senior meteorologist Chris Hebert said this year could have between 16 and 20 named storms. Last year saw 19 named storms, 10 of which were hurricanes. Hebert has predicted seven to nine hurricanes for this year, but two to four “intense” hurricanes, or those that reach categories three, four or five. Last year saw only one such storm, according to ImpactWeather.

One in four deaths on the road can be attributed to distracted driving, according to Manitoba Public Insurance. The public insurer says that more than 160 road deaths have been linked to distracted driving since 2005, which translates to an average of 25 per year. “Cell phones don’t cause crashes, distracted drivers do,” MaryAnn Kempe, vice president of community and corporate relations for MPI, said.

Lloyd’s released its financial results for 2012, reporting a profit of £2.77 billion despite billions in claims from damage resulting from Hurricane Sandy. Lloyd’s, which lost £516 million in 2011, said in March that its gross written premium income in 2012 was £25.5 billion while total net incurred claims were £10.1 billion, down from £12.9 billion in 2011. “In marked contrast to 2011 there was a low level of major catastrophe activity until the impact of Superstorm Sandy in late October,” Lloyd’s stated in its annual report.

Ninety percent of Canadians say they believe an extreme weather-related disaster is possible in their community, but few are prepared for the consequences that excess water from such events can have on their homes, notes a new report from Royal Bank of Canada. Paved surfaces, overloaded infrastructure and severe weather conditions all create challenges for managing excess water, notes the 2013 RBC Canadian Water Attitudes Study, an online survey of 2,282 Canadians administered by GlobeScan between Jan. 23 and Feb. 1.

Murray Wallace, CEO of Granite Global Solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Doug Tremblay as Managing Partner of Rochon Engineering effective April 1, 2013. Doug is a Licensed Professional Engineer who has been with the firm since 2007 and Chief Operating Officer since June 2012. He completed his Baccalaureate of Technology in Mechanical Engineering at Ryerson University and his accreditation program through the University of Toronto. He is currently completing his MBA at the Queen’s School of Business.

Claridge Insurance Adjusters Inc. is pleased to announce that Les Telch, B.A., CIP has joined our team. Les brings with him over 20 years of adjusting experience specializing in Accident Benefits, Bodily Injury, Fraud Investigation and Liability claims. Les’ territory includes the GTA and Barrie/Simcoe County. Les is also a seasonal resident of the Muskoka region servicing the needs of Ontario’s Cottage Country and surrounding areas including Sudbury and North Bay.