Acuity business insurance

Overview

Acuity is a policyholder-owned mutual insurer in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and one of the biggest trucking insurers among the regional carriers. As a single company rather than a group, it ranked No. 38 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $2.57 billion, based on NAIC market share data. Commercial auto was the largest line at $1.05 billion. Wisconsin's insurance regulator notes that most of that is trucking, covering both liability and physical damage. Other liability, commercial multiple peril (package and BOP policies) and workers' compensation make up most of the rest. Acuity does not rank in the national top 10 in any commercial line, but it insures about 125,000 businesses and 300,000 commercial vehicles by its own count.

About three-quarters of Acuity's business is commercial and a quarter personal auto and homeowners, according to the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI). Acuity sells mainly through more than 1,000 independent agents. Melissa Winter became president and CEO in March 2026, succeeding longtime CEO Ben Salzmann, who stays on the board.

History

Acuity was incorporated on August 11, 1925, as the Mutual Automobile Insurance Company of the Town of Herman, started by Sheboygan County farmers and small-town business owners. It began business that September and at first insured only Sheboygan County. The name changed to Mutual Auto Insurance Company in 1954 and to Heritage Mutual Insurance Company in December 1957. The company adopted the Acuity name in March 2001.

Acuity has stayed a mutual and grown mostly on its own rather than through acquisitions. It absorbed Bloomfield Mutual of West Bloomfield, Wisconsin, in 1982 and sold an inactive subsidiary, Greatway Insurance, in 2006. In 2017 it bought a Texas managing general agency, renamed Acuity TX, to run personal auto business in Texas. In 2020 it formed a digital agency, now called Acuity Advantage Insurance Agency, which can sell Acuity products directly or refer customers elsewhere. The company says it has insured truckers for more than 40 years.

Growth has accelerated lately. Acuity passed $3 billion of annual revenue for the first time in 2024, on growth of nearly 20%. In 2025 written premium grew nearly 10%, new business premium reached nearly $600 million, and the policyholder count passed 400,000. In August and September 2025, Acuity told Wisconsin regulators it would withdraw from personal lines and then commercial lines in Nevada.

Business insurance products

Acuity writes a full Main Street and middle-market commercial menu:

• Trucking: commercial auto liability and physical damage for owner-operators up to large fleets, motor truck cargo, trailer interchange, bobtail and deadhead coverage (see non-trucking liability and bobtail insurance: what each covers), and a truckers' enhancement with more than 20 add-ons, including a combined truck, trailer and cargo deductible, loan/lease gap, rental reimbursement and towing. Acuity makes the federal and state motor carrier filings, such as MCS-90 proof of financial responsibility and cargo filings. It insures common carriers, milk haulers, sand and gravel, flatbed and refrigerated operations. See trucking insurance: the coverages motor carriers need.
• Package policies: a business owner's policy, which the OCI report calls Bis-Pak, and commercial package policies combining property and liability.
• Workers' compensation: statutory benefits by state, a medical provider network, bill review and a pharmacy management partnership. See workers' compensation insurance: how it works.
• Other lines: general liability, commercial property, excess and umbrella liability, inland marine, equipment breakdown, crime and cyber.

Acuity publishes industry pages for contractors, trucking, offices, manufacturing, retail, wholesalers and distributors, service businesses, restaurants, auto repair shops, landlords and rental properties, and hotels and motels.

Who it insures

The appetite is small and mid-sized businesses. Trucking is the specialty, and contractors, manufacturers, distributors and retailers are core classes. Acuity is licensed in 38 states but describes itself as active in "over 30." In 2024, the OCI report shows, about 20% of its direct premium came from Wisconsin, followed by Texas, Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota. It is a Midwest-centered regional carrier that has spread west and south. The licensed list also includes Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia and several Mountain and New England states. Nevada is being exited. Acuity is not licensed in California, Florida, New York or New Jersey.

How to buy

Most business comes through independent agents. Acuity's site has a find-an-agent tool and separate listings for business specialists and personal-lines agents. Its website takes quote requests online and by phone at 833-242-5600. Acuity Advantage, the company-owned agency, handles some sales directly. Policyholders can open an online account or use the Acuity app to view policies, track claims, pay bills and download proof of insurance. For changes to a business policy or a certificate of insurance, call commercial policy services at 800-242-7666, extension 5533, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central. Truckers get a motor carrier toolbox to help with CSA and FMCSA compliance, plus trucking loss control staff.

Claims

Report a claim 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-242-7666, or online. Acuity assigns a single claims representative to each claim and aims to make contact the same business day or within 24 hours. Claims documents can be faxed to 888-880-9588. Roadside assistance, which can be added to any policy with a vehicle, is 866-732-1466.

For workers' comp, the Acuity Nurse Helpline at 800-200-6375 connects injured workers with registered nurses around the clock, in English or Spanish, at no charge to policyholders. The nurse triages the injury, recommends a level of care and sends a report to Acuity and, if requested, the employer. Acuity says early triage cuts litigated claims and cost per claim. Those are the company's own figures, but the practical point holds: reporting a comp claim on day one protects your experience modification rate.

Financial strength and ratings

AM Best affirmed Acuity's A+ (Superior) financial strength rating with a stable outlook in March 2026. Acuity says this is the 24th consecutive year it has held an A+. S&P Global Ratings reaffirmed its A+ rating in November 2025, citing strong capital as its key rating strength. Acuity describes itself as the only commercial regional insurer rated A+ by both agencies.

Acuity reported a 2025 combined ratio of 96.3%, an underwriting profit, with written premium up nearly 10% and assets above $8.5 billion. In July 2026 it was named to the Ward's 50 list of top-performing property-casualty insurers for the 27th straight year. Wisconsin OCI's financial examination as of December 31, 2024, released in October 2025, shows direct premium of $3.10 billion for that year.

Strengths and weaknesses

Acuity is a large, well-capitalized mutual with real trucking depth and a broad small-business appetite. Its limits are geographic and channel-related rather than financial.

• Strengths: A+ from both AM Best (affirmed March 2026) and S&P (November 2025); deep trucking program with filings, a motor carrier compliance toolbox and specialist loss control; 24/7 claims with a single adjuster and a free nurse triage line for comp; mutual ownership and steady underwriting profit (96.3% combined ratio in 2025).
• Weaknesses: Not licensed in several large states, including California, Florida, New York and New Jersey, and exiting Nevada; heavy concentration in commercial auto, a line under industry-wide loss pressure; no E&S or wholesale market for hard-to-place risks; mostly agent-based, with limited direct buying.

Agents in the Midwest most often compare Acuity with Auto-Owners Insurance, West Bend Insurance, Erie Insurance and Cincinnati Insurance. See also our acuity-vs-auto-owners comparison.

How to contact Acuity