• New alliance expands Western Growers’ worldwide insurance offerings to food and agribusiness industry

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 06, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Growers Insurance Services is expanding its global reach through a new strategic alliance with JLT Specialty USA (LSE:JLT), one of the world’s leading insurance brokerages. The alliance provides Western Growers the ability to now offer agribusiness and food clients direct access to global insurance carriers. Additionally, this relationship provides the opportunity to tap into offices around the world and the ability to meet specific company needs with the help of subject matter experts.

“By developing a strategic global alliance with JLT, we’ve advanced Western Growers’ insurance brokerage by 10 years,” said Jeff Gullickson, Senior Vice President of Western Growers Insurance Services. “Now with access to 140 offices around the world, the food and agribusiness industry can utilize JLT’s broad spectrum of international insurance resources and receive tailored insurance, risk management and financial solutions across the globe.”

The alliance affords all of Western Growers’ 2,400 member direct access to virtually any global insurance company, providing a massive advantage to businesses who are already operating or looking to open operations in other countries. All members can now leverage the expertise of local professionals in foreign countries to ensure full compliance with other countries’ insurance laws and regulations.

Additionally, Western Growers and JLT collaborated to create an industry-leading cargo insurance coverage solution and administration platform exclusively available to Western Growers’ members. This combined coverage solution and administration platform enables members to effectively manage their cargo programs at the lowest possible premium costs. The partnership will also offer a combined coverage solution called THE SHIELD.

With THE SHIELD, members will receive an insurance program, as well as continuous and unbroken transit coverage for all product shipments to and from all points on the globe. This solution includes Cargo, Contamination, Recall and Non-Physical Damage loss of income. The Cargo solution and THE SHIELD solutions can include iCargo, a world class, leading cargo software application that helps members administer, monitor and provides analytical support for future cargo shipments and strategies.

“We are thrilled to partner with Western Growers as their members will now be able to take advantage of our global insurance solutions and for the first time have access to a world class cargo software package,” said Mike Rastigue, Executive Vice President and West Coast Sales Leader at JLT Specialty USA.  “At JLT, we value the importance of robust data and our insurance solution will now provide members data, analytics and modeling to aid in strategic risk management solutions. Members will have access to claims experts in specific sensitive coverage areas, including product liability and Cargo, among others.”

JLT ENQUIRIES:
Name: Ashely Deal, VP of Marketing
Phone: (310) 266-9464
Email: ashely.deal@jltus.com

WESTERN GROWERS ENQUIRIES:
Name: Cory Lunde, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Communications
Phone: (949) 885-2264
Email: clunde@wga.com

Name: Stephanie Thara, Communications Manager
Phone: (949) 885-2256
Email: sthara@wga.com

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Jardine Lloyd Thompson
Jardine Lloyd Thompson is one of the world’s leading providers of insurance, reinsurance and employee benefits related advice, brokerage and associated services. JLT’s client proposition is built upon its deep specialist knowledge, client advocacy, tailored advice and service excellence.

JLT is quoted on the London Stock Exchange and owns offices in 40 territories with more than 10,600 employees. Supported by the JLT International Network, it offers risk management and employee benefit solutions in 135 countries.

For further information about JLT, please visit our website www.jlt.com  and follow us on LinkedIn at JLT Group and Twitter @JLTGroup.

About JLT Specialty USA
JLT Specialty USA:

JLT Specialty USA is the U.S. platform of the leading specialty business advisory firm, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group. Our experts have deep industry and product experience serving leading U.S. and global firms. Our key to client success is our freedom to be creative, collaborative, and analytical while challenging conventions, redefining problems, creating new analytical insights, and exploring new boundaries to deliver solutions for each client’s unique business and risks.

For further information about JLT, please visit our website www.jltus.com and follow us on LinkedIn at JLT Specialty USA and Twitter @JLTSpecialtyUSA.

About Western Growers:
Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California and Colorado. Our members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.