Utica National business insurance

Overview

Utica National is a mutual insurance group from New Hartford, New York, near Utica. It started as a workers' compensation carrier in 1914 and is now a national writer of commercial and personal lines with several well-known specialty programs. Its NAIC group was ranked No. 52 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $1.64 billion, based on NAIC market share data. That is about 0.34% of the national commercial market. It is not among the 10 largest writers of any single commercial line nationally. Package policies (commercial multiple peril) are its biggest line at $746.0 million, followed by commercial auto ($452.3 million), other liability ($240.9 million) and workers' compensation ($196.7 million).

"Utica National Insurance Group" is a trade name and does not issue policies. Policies come from ten member companies:

• Utica Mutual Insurance Company: the principal company, licensed in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
• Graphic Arts Mutual Insurance Company and Republic-Franklin Insurance Company: affiliated companies licensed in 30 and 22 jurisdictions respectively.
• Utica National Assurance Company, Utica National Insurance Company of Ohio, Utica National Insurance Company of Texas, Utica Specialty Risk Insurance Company and Utica Lloyd's of Texas: regional subsidiaries.
• Founders Insurance Company (Des Plaines, Illinois) and Founders Insurance Company of Michigan: the liquor liability and hospitality arm.

The group sells through more than 2,500 independent agencies and has more than 1,300 employees. Kristen H. Martin is president and CEO. Do not confuse it with Utica First Insurance Company, a separate insurer that is not part of the group.

History

The Utica Mutual Compensation Insurance Corporation was founded on February 13, 1914, as a workers' compensation carrier. It began appointing independent agents in 1928, first to sell auto insurance in parts of New York its branch offices could not reach easily, and it has sold through agents ever since. The home office moved to New Hartford in the early 1950s.

The specialty programs date from later decades. Agents' errors and omissions coverage started in 1966, and the educational institutions program in 1974. The group passed $1 billion of direct premium in 2017.

In 2010, Utica Mutual bought Nationwide Holdings Inc., the parent of Founders Insurance Company. Founders traces its roots to 1901 and has written liquor liability for more than 50 years; by the early 1960s it was insuring Chicago dance halls.

Leadership has turned over recently. Richard P. Creedon, CEO since 2016, retired on June 30, 2024. Kristen Martin, president and COO since 2019, succeeded him as the company's first female CEO. Abel Travis, previously at Brotherhood Mutual, AF Group, The Hanover, Chubb, Travelers and The Hartford, joined as chief operating officer on July 27, 2026.

In 2025 the group topped $2 billion in direct written premium for the first time. It also opened an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, finished a claims system overhaul and rolled out an AI-based contact center platform.

Business insurance products

Small and mid-sized business. For small businesses, Utica sells a business owner's policy plus workers' compensation, commercial auto and umbrella, and package policies for larger accounts. Industry programs add tailored coverage for:

• franchised and used auto dealers, and auto service shops;
• child care centers, contractors and craft breweries;
• libraries, light manufacturing and woodworking, and printing and graphic communications (a niche it has served for more than 100 years, through Graphic Arts Mutual);
• professional services, religious institutions, restaurants, retailers and wholesalers.

Schools. Utica has insured educational institutions since 1974 and covers more than 1,000 public, private, charter and Montessori schools and small colleges. The school program offers:

• school district and educators legal liability (errors and omissions, employment practices and employee benefits liability);
• abuse and molestation liability;
• data compromise and cyber coverage;
• coverage for crisis events such as food poisoning;
• law enforcement liability for school security officers;
• replacement cost on school buses up to 10 years old.

Volunteer fire departments. For more than 30 years Utica has covered volunteer departments, including those with some paid staff. The program includes replacement cost on trucks and the chief's vehicle, guaranteed replacement cost on firefighting equipment, hazardous materials liability, and more than 250 free online training courses.

Insurance agents' E&O. Utica says it is the second-largest U.S. insurer of insurance agents' errors and omissions coverage. Its agents' E&O program, written continuously for more than 50 years, insures more than 10,000 agents through state associations, with claims handled by staff who work only on agents' E&O.

Hospitality. Founders writes liquor liability and special events cover in 18 states. It takes late-closing bars, new ventures, live entertainment and one- to five-day events with up to 5,000 attendees.

Workers' compensation and bonds. Comp remains a core line. Right Pay is a pay-as-you-go billing option that collects premium with each payroll. Utica also writes surety and fidelity bonds, plus an ERISA and crime program.

Who it insures

Utica's appetite is main street commercial business plus institutional niches: schools, fire departments, houses of worship, libraries and insurance agencies. Commercial package business is the largest share of its book. Utica Mutual is licensed nationwide, but the affiliates are licensed only in specific states, mostly in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest and Texas. Regional offices sit in New Hartford and Woodbury, New York; Richardson, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Des Plaines, Illinois. Whether Utica will write your class in your state depends on the program, so start with an appointed agent.

How to buy

Through an independent agent or broker. Utica has sold through agents since 1928, and its online agent locator searches by coverage type and ZIP code. There is no online quoting for business coverage. Insurance agencies shopping for their own E&O can email a one-page application for a quick premium estimate. Once insured, you can manage policies and payments in the Customer Care Center portal. Workers' comp policyholders can choose Right Pay billing.

Claims

Claims are taken 24/7/365. Claims staff work weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. You can report a loss:

• online through the Customer Care Center, or without logging in for most lines (workers' comp claims require a login);
• by email to [email protected];
• by phone at 800-216-1420, or by fax at 888-538-2018;
• by mail to Utica National Insurance Group, PO Box 6610, Utica, NY 13504-6610.

Have the policy number, your agent's name and the date and details of the incident ready. Agents' E&O claims have their own online form.

For workers' compensation, the Uti-CARE program combines medical case management and cost containment to get injured employees back to work. New York claimants can be paid by direct deposit. Utica completed a claims transformation in 2025 that it says brought more automation and faster service.

Financial strength and ratings

On November 13, 2024, AM Best affirmed the A (Excellent) financial strength rating of Utica Mutual and its affiliates, including Founders and Utica National Assurance. It upgraded their long-term issuer credit ratings to "a+" from "a", with a stable outlook. AM Best called the balance sheet strongest and operating performance adequate. Utica's 2025 annual report says AM Best reaffirmed the A rating in 2025 with a stable outlook and that the group is working toward A+. It holds no ratings from S&P, Moody's or Fitch.

The 2025 statutory results in the annual report:

• net premiums written of $1.86 billion, up from $1.72 billion;
• a combined ratio of 97.8%, against 97.5% in 2024;
• underwriting income of $12.5 million and net income of $137.3 million;
• policyholders' surplus (which Utica calls its policyholders' security fund) of $1.85 billion, and admitted assets of $5.12 billion;
• $8.4 million paid in dividends to policyholders.

The combined ratio stays under 100%, but only just, so investment income does most of the earning.

Strengths and weaknesses

Utica National pairs a century of workers' compensation and agency-system experience with specialty programs few regionals offer. Underwriting margins are thin, and the rating is a notch below the top tier.

• Strengths: Long-running programs for schools (since 1974), volunteer fire departments and agents' E&O, where it says it is the second-largest U.S. writer. Founders gives bars and event hosts a liquor liability market. It is a policyholder-owned mutual with $1.85 billion of surplus and has paid policyholder dividends. Workers' comp comes with pay-as-you-go billing and medical case management.
• Weaknesses: Agent-only distribution with no online quoting. Combined ratios near 98% leave little cushion. AM Best rates it A (Excellent), not A+. Licensing varies by member company, so availability differs by state and program. The executive team turned over in 2024 and 2026.

How to contact Utica National