Each of Intercorp's programs was developed in response to a specific need that was not being adequately served by the customary insurance markets.

The Dry Cleaner Environmental Liability Program is a good example. Back in the mid-1990s, Intercorp developed the underwriting approach and program format to provide pollution coverage for dry cleaners, who were being lumped into broader environmental categories and paying high minimum premiums. The program has evolved from its humble beginnings into a premier program, with a highly sophisticated audit and inspection system that enhances its value for dry cleaners.

The Lead Liability Insurance Program was added to Intercorp's program offerings in the past year. It, too, filled a previously underserved market segment--that of public housing authorities and community development agencies charged with the task of testing, monitoring, and removing lead paint from HUD funded housing. The program was structured to provide professional liability and contractors pollution for the housing authority and/or their employees and subcontractors for lead-based paint work. In the process of developing the program, Intercorp developed a close relationship both with the national association in this field--eventually earning its endorsement--and with officials of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides guidelines for the housing authorities on lead-based paint.

Real estate appraisers is the target of an errors & omissions program developed by Intercorp some 10 years ago, following the move by states to provide certification for these individuals. The program is specific to appraising, which allows the underwriting and pricing to focus directly on this activity rather than a myriad of real estate-related activities.

Dealers in coins and related collector-type items, such as watches and clocks, are the focus of an inland marine program, which provides coverage for inventory on premises, in transit, and at shows and exhibitions. This program provides coverage similar to that of a jeweler's block coverage, but it is priced more competitively to meet the needs of these particular dealers. The program has been offered for more than 20 years, the past 10 under Intercorp's management.

The common thread that ties these diverse programs together in Intercorp's office is service and responsiveness to agent and customer needs. Intercorp's staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and outgoing, with a goal of answering questions when agents call; if immediate information is not available, they will get the information and get back to the agent or client. Intercorp often provides same-day or next-day turnaround on quotations, providing the account submits a complete application.

Intercorp's various approaches to program development use alternatives such as captive insurance companies, rent-a-captives, and risk purchasing groups, as well as the standard market.

For more information, visit Intercorp's Web site at www.intercorpinc.net, or call (800) 640-7601. *