Argo Group and Farm Family (Clearbrook) business insurance

Overview

The NAIC files this group under Brookfield Wealth Solutions, the insurance arm of Canada's Brookfield. In practice it is Brookfield's U.S. property-casualty business: Argo Group, a specialty casualty and surplus lines writer, and the commercial and farm business that American National used to write, now branded Farm Family. Since January 2026 both have sat under one holding company, Clearbrook Group Holdings Inc., the renamed Argo Group International Holdings. The NAIC group ranked No. 42 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $2.21 billion, based on NAIC market share data. Other liability was the largest line at $722.0 million, followed by commercial multiple peril at $362.0 million, commercial auto at $314.1 million and workers' compensation at $262.5 million. The group does not rank in the national top 10 in any single commercial line.

The insurance companies in the group are Argonaut Insurance Company, Argonaut-Midwest, Colony Insurance Company, Colony Specialty, Rockwood Casualty and Somerset Casualty on the Argo side. The former American National side includes American National Property and Casualty, American National General, United Farm Family and two Texas companies, American National County Mutual and American National Lloyds. Brookfield Wealth Solutions owns Clearbrook outright, and Chris Donahue is CEO.

Clearbrook describes three units: Argo Casualty (primary, excess and niche casualty), Argo Specialty (non-casualty E&S lines, with growth in inland marine, garage and Bermuda property) and Farm Family (farm, ranch and small commercial). The American National name now belongs to the life and annuity companies. Its website sends farm, business and other P&C customers to FarmFamily.com.

History

• 1905: American National Insurance Company is founded; it is now based in Houston.
• 1950s: Farm Family is formed by farmers in the Northeast; it dates its service to 1954.
• 1957: Rockwood Casualty Insurance Company, now Argo's workers' comp unit, is founded in Pennsylvania.
• 2001: American National buys the Farm Family group of Glenmont, New York, in April. Farm Family's products were rebranded American National in 2018–2019.
• May 2022: Brookfield Reinsurance (now Brookfield Wealth Solutions) takes American National private in a $5.1 billion deal.
• 2023–2024: American National sells its medical stop-loss business and its Specialty Markets Group (credit-related insurance) to Core Specialty.
• November 2023: Brookfield closes its $1.1 billion purchase of Argo Group at $30 a share. The deal was announced in February 2023. Under Brookfield, Argo has been reshaped into a U.S.-focused specialty P&C company.
• January 2025: Argo sells renewal rights to most of its Argo Pro professional lines book ($155 million in force) to Core Specialty.
• March 2025: CEO Jessica Buss leaves, and Chris Donahue, Argo's CFO since the takeover, succeeds her.
• Late 2025: Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company is merged into Argonaut Insurance Company, according to AM Best.
• January 29, 2026: Argo Group International Holdings becomes Clearbrook Group Holdings, combining the Argo and Farm Family brands. The American National P&C lines move back to the Farm Family name.

Business insurance products

Argo Casualty. Primary general liability for non-construction risks and unsupported lead, mid and high excess for construction, manufacturing, premises and products. A wholesale-only construction team writes practice or project policies at $1 million/$2 million/$2 million primary with supported excess to $5 million, for residential and commercial general and trade contractors (see General contractor insurance). Argo Environmental offers contractors pollution, premises environmental (PEARL), storage tank and excess environmental policies, and a combined GL/pollution/professional form; see pollution liability insurance and the pollution exclusion. Each environmental policy includes Spill Center's 24/7 incident response.

Workers' compensation (Rockwood). Monoline voluntary comp, including hard-to-place risks and USL&H coverage. Parcel delivery has been the unit's No. 1 class for six years, and target classes include transportation and delivery, contractors and building services, oil and gas and utilities, mining and manufacturing. Every policy includes a streaming safety-video library, and Argo's safety staff offer site visits and training.

Argo Specialty. Colony Specialty writes admitted and non-admitted garage coverage for auto dealers and service operations through wholesale general agents on binding authority; see garage liability and garagekeepers coverage. Argo also writes inland marine (logistics, construction, builders' risk, equipment floaters) and tax liability insurance. Argo Specialty Programs provides admitted or excess and surplus lines capacity to program administrators (see program business: niche insurance through program administrators), and a Bermuda unit writes property, casualty and professional liability.

Farm Family. Farm and ranch packages, business owner's and commercial package policies, commercial auto, commercial umbrella, workers' comp (not in every state), EPLI, employee benefits liability, equipment breakdown and cyber, plus select personal auto. Target small-business segments are specialty trade contractors, professional offices, restaurants and bakeries, landscapers and nurseries, service businesses and retailers. Farm Family's Enhanced Solutions Program offers policyholders discounted risk tools such as fleet telematics and electrical monitoring.

Who it insures

Argo's sweet spot is the small and mid-sized casualty account that standard carriers turn away: contractors on New York projects, parcel delivery fleets, oil field and utility contractors, environmental firms, auto dealers and premises and products risks needing excess. Its programs unit is licensed for all commercial lines in all states. Farm Family is strongest with farms, agribusiness and small businesses in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with offices in Glenmont, New York, and Springfield, Missouri, and says it is expanding into new regions.

How to buy

Argo does not sell direct. Casualty, construction, environmental and specialty business comes through wholesale and retail brokers. Garage business comes through wholesale general agents with binding authority, Rockwood comp through independent agents, and programs through approved administrators. Farm Family business is quoted through a local agent, found with the agent search on farmfamily.com. There is no online purchase for either brand. Rockwood policyholders and agents can use the Web-TDS portal for manuals and contacts.

Claims

Argo reports commercial lines claims (construction, environmental, inland marine, GL, garage, property and excess) and workers' comp claims at 833-240-4128 or by email from the claims page. Rockwood has its own first-notice line at 800-837-9062, and Argo Surety claims go to 312-977-3244. Farm Family takes claims 24/7 at 800-333-2860 (fax 518-533-4589), and policyholders can also file through their online account. Argo's environmental policies route spill response through Spill Center.

Financial strength and ratings

On April 24, 2026, AM Best affirmed the A- (Excellent) financial strength rating and "a-" issuer credit ratings of the Argo companies. It also affirmed the A (Excellent) rating and "a" issuer credit ratings of American National Property and Casualty Company and its affiliates, the Farm Family Insurance Group, and the "bbb-" issuer credit rating of Clearbrook itself, all with stable outlooks. AM Best rates Argo's balance sheet as very strong but its operating performance as only marginal. It said underwriting results have been strained by prior-year reserve development, mostly from lines Argo has exited, and that merging Farm Family Casualty into Argonaut lifted surplus and profitability. It withdrew the ratings of Argo Group US, Inc. after its preferred shares and senior debt were redeemed.

AM Best had given Argo a positive outlook in 2024 after the Brookfield deal, then moved it back to stable in April 2025, citing continued earnings weakness. As of October 2026, Argo's website still showed the positive outlook, so check the April 2026 release.

Strengths and weaknesses

Brookfield's ownership gives Argo and Farm Family a deep-pocketed parent and a balance sheet AM Best calls very strong. But Argo has spent three years selling or exiting lines, and its earnings record is weak. Farm Family is a solid regional farm writer that has changed brands twice since 2018.

• Strengths: Real specialist teams for New York construction, environmental, garage and hard-to-place comp, including parcel delivery and USL&H; access through wholesalers, retail brokers and agents; Farm Family's farm-and-business package backed by an A (Excellent) rating.
• Weaknesses: Argo is rated A-, and AM Best calls its operating performance marginal; frequent ownership, brand and leadership changes (Brookfield deals in 2022 and 2023, a CEO change in 2025, the Clearbrook rename in 2026); sale of Argo Pro and other lines narrows the menu; Farm Family is regional and agent-only.

How to contact Argo Group and Farm Family (Clearbrook)