Transatlantic Underwriters (TAU), a Marietta, Georgia-based wholesale insurance brokerage specializing in transportation risks, has launched a new Property and Casualty (P&C) division. The expansion adds six new lines of business: Commercial General and Excess Liability, Commercial Property, Inland Marine, Builders Risk, and Garage.
The new division is part of the company’s broader strategy to diversify its service offerings while maintaining a focus on its core transportation clients. To lead the division, TAU has appointed Bernadette Flores as Senior Vice President of Property & Casualty. Flores brings more than 24 years of experience in the excess and surplus (E&S) P&C market, with a background in contractors, garage, habitational, and hospitality risks. She will be based in the company’s San Francisco Bay Area office.
“Since founding TAU, I’ve always envisioned expanding beyond our transportation specialty when the timing was right,” said Colby Waltenburg, President of Transatlantic Underwriters. “Our transportation operations are thriving, and we’re now positioned to diversify our offerings to better serve existing customers and welcome new partners.”
TAU began as a three-person agency in 1989 and has steadily expanded its national footprint. In February 2023, the company rolled out updated non-fleet transportation capabilities across multiple states, eventually reaching over 40 states by the end of that year.
The company’s entry into the broader P&C space comes as the U.S. market continues to experience shifts in demand and underwriting conditions. In 2023, the U.S. P&C insurance industry recorded approximately $818 billion in net premiums written, according to industry reports. Commercial lines represented nearly half of that figure. Several property-related lines have faced underwriting losses in recent years, primarily due to inflation, severe weather, and rising replacement costs. However, growth in the E&S sector has continued, driven by the need for specialized coverage in higher-risk or complex industries.
TAU said it intends to place business through non-admitted markets and focus on classes of business that may be underserved in traditional channels. The company plans to update its website with details about the new offerings in the coming weeks.
