GNW 

Hawaii 

Insurance 

Assumes 

Hawaii 

Insurance 

Policies 

of 

the 

Hawaiian 

Insurance 

& 

Guaranty 

Company 

GNW Hawaii Insurance Assumes Hawaii Insurance Policies of the Hawaiian Insurance & Guaranty Company

New company already working with local staff, agents on seamless transition for policyholders

GNW Hawaii Insurance, Ltd. (GNW), has reached an agreement with the State of Hawaii Insurance Commissioner, as liquidator of The Hawaiian Insurance & Guaranty Company, Limited (HIG), to assume existing Hawaii policy obligations of HIG; effective Sept. 20. In connection with the assumption, GNW will change its name to Hawaiian Insurance and Guaranty Company, Limited. The company’s financial rating will be sufficient to satisfy local financial institutions for mortgages and security.

“We want to assure existing HIG customers that the transition will be as seamless as possible and we will continue current coverages, value and quality service,” said Stephen Doucette, GNW president and CEO. “It is our intention to continue providing competitive rates and exceptional service. Our interest in the local market is long-term, and we value HIG’s history and tradition of providing insurance value and stability since 1915.”

All provisions of HIG policies, including premium terms, remain in full force and effect. GNW has already begun working with local insurance agents to ensure that all insurance needs under current policies will continue to be met. Minimal, if any, change in service is anticipated because payments and most inquiries and requests about claims and services go directly to agents.

“As part of our company philosophy, we believe agents are more important than ever, particularly because of the many network technologies available today. Whereas other companies have centralized their operations, we have done the opposite. We see our role as supporting the local agents with our cutting edge technological resources so they can provide personal, quality service to policyholders at the site of the local agency, rather than at a more distant insurance company office.”

Overseeing local operations will be Doucette and GNW vice president of operations Charlene Moriarity. Ernest Fukeda, HIG’s former president and chief operating officer, will continue through Sept. 30 to assist with the transition.

“We have been working diligently with the current staff over the past several weeks to ensure a smooth transition for the more than 20,000 HIG customers. Although Mr. Fukeda has chosen to accept a position elsewhere, his departure is amicable, and we will wish him only the best.”

GNW is affiliated with Great Northwest Insurance Company (Great Northwest), based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Great Northwest is a preferred auto, home and small business underwriter utilizing the strengths of the Independent Agency system, in conjunction with a revolutionary organizational structure called a Micro-Insurance Company® (MIC), to achieve extremely low overhead costs and superior customer service capabilities. A MIC is an agency that has been given the authority and has accepted the responsibility to actively support the needs of their customers by performing 100 percent of the custom service functions at the site of their agency. The net effects are lower costs and improved service. Great Northwest has been operating this industry-leading model of superior service and lower costs since 1994. With the addition of Hawaii, Great Northwest and its affiliates operate in 17 states.