Better Together
Dear Valued Partner,
With your continued support and partnership, Arbella Commercial Lines is well positioned for another year of strong, profitable growth. We remain committed to delivering responsive service and transparent communication to you and your customers, while driving consistent, profitable results in today’s competitive market.
Although the market offers opportunities for growth, it also brings significant challenges. Climate change and extreme weather continue to drive higher losses and claim costs, and legal system abuse and nuclear verdicts are adding pressure to liability lines of business.
Arbella is addressing these challenges with innovative solutions. We’ve launched several educational webinars focused on climate change and are currently exploring how technology can help mitigate the impact of extreme weather. Our Loss Control team also conducts regular weather and liability assessments, providing personalized recommendations to help customers prevent and reduce losses.
When we encounter legal system abuse, we confront it in all its forms. Customer education and effective claim management are essential, and our Loss Control team provides risk management consulting to help prevent losses before they happen.
In this issue, you’ll read about our successes and the agents who are advancing our industry and serving their communities.
Every year brings different challenges. Together with you, we are finding solutions.
Thank you for your partnership.
Sincerely,
William S. Hughes, CPCU Vice President, Commercial Lines
Arbella Insurance Group (617) 328-2505
Check out our climate change webinars on ArbellaConnect.
Virtual Fall Agent Meeting
Join us for our virtual agent meeting October 15 at 10 a.m. Be sure to check your email for registration information.
MESSAGE FROM BILL HUGHES
William Hughes, CPCU
PRODUCT NEWS AND UPDATES
Proud to Partner with You
RECENT SUCCESSES
Services, real estate, and fleet auto are just a few examples of our recent successes and the types of business we like to write. Don’t forget to also consider Arbella for your artisan customers! To learn more, contact your underwriter.
ALL CPP POLICIES CONVERTED TO PSTAR
With all lines of business now on PSTAR, we’ve accelerated submission and policy processing.
“Streamlined quoting, automated renewal processing, improved quote proposals, and account billing are just some of the benefits gained with CPP’s migration to PSTAR,” said Liz Misero, director, Commercial Lines Product.
TAKE PART IN OUR NEW HAMPSHIRE BONUS PLAN!
We’re seeing strong growth in New Hampshire: In the first half of 2025, we increased new business there by 30% compared with 2024. To maintain this momentum, we’re offering a new business incentive plan through December 31, 2025. New Hampshire policies are eligible for a bonus commission of 5% for new business premium of less than $250K and 7.5% for new business premium of more than $250K. Contact your underwriter or territory manager with any questions.
“Arbella’s clear and intentional focus on people and community made it easy for me to choose to work here. The culture actively helps me achieve my professional goals and build meaningful relationships without sacrificing work-life balance.”
Christopher White, Underwriter
“I love working for Arbella because of the genuine commitment to both employees and customers. It is a company that values integrity, teamwork, and work-life balance. Arbella’s culture helps me thrive both professionally and personally.”
Teri Durkin, Underwriting Specialist
“I chose Arbella because of the opportunity to expand on my experience in commercial lines. Since starting at Arbella, I have received incredible career development support. This will only help us be better partners to our agents and keep us growing in New Hampshire and Massachusetts!”
Emily Niemiec, Marketing Territory Mgr.
“Arbella has an amazing culture that prioritizes its employees. The work-life balance, hybrid schedule, professional development opportunities, and fantastic coworkers make it a great place to work. Arbella continues to set the standard for corporate culture.”
Dan
Corcoran,
Underwriting Team Mgr.
“I wasn’t looking for a new role when Arbella’s HR department reached out to me about a field underwriter position. They told me how great the culture is, and in my six and a half months of being here I’ve experienced it firsthand. I couldn’t be happier with my decision.”
Anthony Buttafuoco, Middle
Market Field Underwriter
PEOPLE TO KNOW AT ARBELLA
Hilb Group Makes Commercial Business Personal
For Joe Padula, managing director of Commercial Lines Property and Casualty Insurance at Hilb New England, insurance is a family affair. His uncle started an agency in 1946, with his father Bob taking over in the mid-1980s. Joe soon followed his father’s lead, joining the company in 1995.
In 2015, their family-owned agency merged with Hilb Group. Although they became part of a national enterprise, Joe and his family have maintained the same relationship-driven values that have been central to their agency from the beginning.
“Some businesses and families have been customers for 75 years. To us, their success isn’t transactional—we care about them,” Joe said. “As true trusted advisors, we meet with our commercial clients several times a year to ensure their insurance is aligned with their evolving business needs.”
“We have a semiannual meeting called the New England Regional Growth Academy, in which we present our strategy for the next year to more than 200 employees,” Joe said. “It’s a good way to get people in one place and develop relationships as well as get feedback on our strategic agenda.”
Career development is also a key part of Hilb Group’s culture, whether employees are seasoned professionals or at the start of their careers.
“We’re focused on training and continuous learning,” Joe said.
This advisory role includes making risk control recommendations based on trends observed in customers’ claims.
“If we do this well, we can help reduce our customers’ cost of risk over time,” Joe said. “And that’s our goal: to help businesses manage and minimize risk and in turn, minimize costs.”
Joe and his team prioritize relationships internally as well. This is no small feat, as Hilb Group employs more than 600 people across 15 branches throughout New England.
“Most of our employees are involved with some type of industry educational program. Additionally, our internship program has brought many young people into the industry, and it continues to expand each year.”
Joe and his team at Hilb are committed to helping their employees and customers thrive.
“We’ve had a great relationship with Arbella since day one because they view their agents as their customers and they take that relationship seriously. It’s a partnership,” he said. “Going forward, we will continue to grow together because of our shared focus on people and relationships.”
Joe Padula, Norm St Laurant, Tim Blais, John Kaull
Hilb New England employees at their annual fundraiser for breast cancer research.
CLIMATE CORNER
A Practical, Tactical Approach to Climate Change
Severe weather events continue to have a major impact on the commercial insurance industry. We spoke with Brian Clark, Arbella’s Commercial Loss Control manager, about how climate change is transforming the market, and how Arbella’s Commercial Loss Control team is working to mitigate its effects.
HOW IS CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTING THE COMMERCIAL INSURANCE INDUSTRY?
Damage to buildings from bigger, more frequent storms has led to large losses, reinsurance challenges, and rising claim costs. Agents and customers are having more difficulty securing coverage for coastal businesses, and when they do, it’s typically a policy with lower limits at a higher price.
HOW IS ARBELLA’S COMMERCIAL LOSS CONTROL TEAM RESPONDING TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
We’ve developed a weather readiness assessment model that we use with many of our insureds. We evaluate their readiness based on several critical attributes, including proactive property maintenance and pre-storm preparation. Through these assessments, we’re able to make practical, personalized recommendations to help insureds improve their weather preparedness.
We’ve also launched a weather resiliency webinar series tailored to commercial agents and customers. Topics have ranged from outdoor dining to the importance of planning for severe weather events. These webinars can be found at Arbella Connect/Agent Learning Center/Courses.
WHAT CAN AGENTS DO IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
Agents can talk to their customers about steps they can take to increase their weather readiness, whether that means proactively maintaining their buildings and grounds, conducting pre-storm preparation, or developing a comprehensive risk assessment plan. We can work with customers to discuss risks and controls and develop a plan across all lines of commercial coverage.
Climate change is a daunting topic, but we must talk about it. Together, we can reduce its impact on customers by making sure they’re prepared. We can make a difference and tackle these challenges head-on, customer by customer.
Employees Drive Charitable Giving at FBinsure
FBinsure is firmly anchored in the Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities. Tracing its roots back to 1858, FBinsure names social responsibility among its core values, a testament to its long-standing commitment to the people it serves.
“We encourage our employees to be involved in the community,” said Tom Rogers, chief executive officer of FBinsure. “Giving back is not just something we like to do. It is woven into the fabric of our organization.”
SUPPORT IN ACTION
A key part of FBinsure’s charitable efforts is FBcares, an initiative run entirely by employees. Each month, employees raise money for a charity, fundraiser, or community event of their choice through the initiative’s Feel Good Friday program. This has led to tens of thousands of dollars donated to local organizations in need of support. FBcares provides the FBinsure team with ownership in the charitable initiatives of the agency.
“What’s good externally is good internally,” Tom said. “Our team is passionate about giving back. They have taken FBcares to a whole new level.”
FBinsure has supported well over 100 local charities, most of which address the needs of children and families, veterans, and food insecure individuals. The agency has also worked closely with the Old Colony YMCA, one of the larger nonprofit organizations in Southeastern Massachusetts.
“The Old Colony YMCA is near and dear to our hearts. They do so much for our communities, and we get to see that support in action,” said Tom. “The Arbella Insurance Foundation has also been a tremendous supporter of the Y.”
In October 2021, the Arbella Foundation partnered with the Celtics Foundation to donate a new outdoor space to the
“What’s good externally is good internally,” Tom said. “Our team is passionate about giving back. They have taken FBcares to a whole new level.”
– Tom Rogers, FBinsure
Old Colony YMCA’s Camp Yomechas in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Since then, FBinsure and the Arbella Foundation have continued to support children and families throughout the region.
“That outdoor space wouldn’t have been possible with the standard Y budget,” Tom said. “We’re truly fortunate to have a partner like the Arbella Foundation. The magnitude of impact we can make working together is incredible.”
A LEGACY OF PHILANTHROPY
FBinsure’s position as a community-focused agency empowers the entire team to make a positive difference.
“We live and work here, so we can see and respond to the needs of the community,” Tom said. “Social responsibility is at our core and will always remain central to who we are.”
Tom Rogers, Russ Martorana
Risk Management Key to Curbing Legal System Abuse
Over the past few years, our industry has experienced rising claim costs in commercial auto and general liability. This trend is partly due to legal system abuse—a set of tactics that increase the time and cost of settling claims. These tactics include frivolous lawsuits, increased legal representation by claimants, and third-party litigation funding.
Dave Zawilinski, assistant vice president, Commercial Lines Underwriting at Arbella, recently sat down with us to discuss the ramifications of legal system abuse and what agents and carriers can do in response.
HOW IS LEGAL SYSTEM ABUSE IMPACTING COMMERCIAL INSURANCE?
We’re seeing higher jury verdicts and, as a result, higher premiums and an increase in loss reserves. While the frequency of claims hasn’t changed much, the cost of claims has skyrocketed.
In New England, legal system abuse is having the greatest impact on commercial auto. A shortage of drivers, congested roads, and distracted driving contribute to these rising loss costs. Within general liability lines, restaurants are most at risk of feeling the effects of legal system abuse. Liquor liability, food handling and allergies, and slips and falls all increase the likelihood of claims and losses.
HOW IS ARBELLA MANAGING THE EFFECTS OF LEGAL SYSTEM ABUSE?
Risk management—the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential threats to help insureds better protect their assets—is more important than ever. Arbella’s Loss Control team plays a significant role in risk management, taking a consultative approach to helping businesses become safer, stronger entities.
We always strive to do the right thing. Claims are going to happen. We pay the claims we should pay, but we also help our insureds defend themselves when appropriate.
HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER IN RESPONSE TO LEGAL SYSTEM ABUSE?
Although strategically, increasing premiums is important, it’s not the only answer. For agents, the first and most crucial step is communicating with and educating insureds about how legal system abuse impacts their businesses.
Together, we can emphasize the importance of fleet management in commercial auto, including implementing hiring criteria, training, and distracted driving policies. The same standards apply in the general liability space: In restaurants, firm policies and procedures around food handling and alcohol can help prevent losses from happening in the first place—and a loss can’t develop if a loss doesn’t happen.
For more information, please reach out to your underwriter or our Loss Control team.
Editor
Writer
Designer
When our agents talk, we listen.
Susan Glynn
Jessica Kent
Susan Haskins