CRC Specialty, the wholesale distribution arm of CRC Group, has added four professionals across underwriting and brokerage roles, with placements in Florida, Texas, and South Carolina. Those three states consistently rank among the highest-volume surplus lines markets in the country, alongside California and New York, according to AM Best research published in April 2025.
The hires arrive as the US excess and surplus (E&S) lines market hits a record $129.8 billion in direct premiums written in 2024. That marks its seventh consecutive year of double-digit growth, according to AM Best. Demand for experienced wholesale underwriters and brokers is intensifying.
Hart Slade (pictured, left) joins as underwriting team leader in Sumter, South Carolina. He brings more than a decade of personal lines underwriting experience, with a particular focus on high-net-worth clients and hard-to-place risks. His background includes managing significant books of business, supporting portfolio growth, and mentoring underwriting staff.
Brian Stephens (pictured, center) joins as a broker in Austin, Texas. Stephens brings close to 20 years spanning E&S brokerage, underwriting operations, and branch leadership. His background includes managing all-lines E&S placements and building relationships across retail and carrier channels.
Tyler Fuchs takes up the position of underwriting team lead in Charleston, South Carolina. His background in commercial risk evaluation and account servicing positions him to support CRC's retail agency partners on the operational side of placement.
Alyssa Scher (pictured, right) joins the Tampa, Florida office as senior associate underwriting team leader. She brings more than five years in underwriting across account management, risk assessment, and team development.
The geographic and specialist spread of the hires reflects where E&S pressure is concentrated. Florida and Texas carry among the highest catastrophe exposure of any US markets. Admitted carriers have pulled back from property lines in both states, redirecting volume to the non-admitted channel. AM Best noted in its April 2025 report that extreme weather and rising loss costs had prompted admitted writers to reassess their risk appetite. That has created openings for surplus lines carriers to absorb displaced business.
That dynamic is reshaping how retail brokers operate. According to IBA's 2025 5-Star Wholesale Brokers and MGAs report, 33% of retail brokers now conduct more than half their business through wholesale partners. That is up from 23% the previous year.
E&S growth did moderate in 2025. AM Best reported in January 2026 that surplus lines premiums grew 9.7% through the third quarter of 2025, compared with 13.5% over the same period in 2024.
The slowdown reflected competitive pressure in commercial property, cyber, and directors and officers (D&O) liability lines. Even so, the segment continued absorbing complex risks that admitted carriers were declining – particularly in catastrophe-exposed property and high-hazard casualty.
The four hires sit within a wider expansion at CRC Group. In May 2025, the company acquired ARC Excess & Surplus, a boutique management and professional liability wholesale broker with more than 250 carrier partners and over $1 billion in annual premium. The deal strengthened CRC's ExecPro professional liability practice.
CRC Group places $32 billion in annual premium across property and casualty and employee benefits, according to the company. It operates through approximately 6,300 staff across the United States and 11 countries.
