Our History

In the late 1950s, brothers Donald and George Derham, claims supervisors at Allstate and Royal insurance companies, started their own insurance brokerage. In 1962, Don Derham became an agent of the State Farm insurance companies. His business quickly grew from the first dollar to a $10,000,000 agency through the simple philosophy of treating his clients in a professional, but neighborly manner.

In May of 1993, Don's son, Don Derham, Jr., started the Inter Insurance Agency brokerage operation to broaden their business and better serve their existing clients who wished to purchase insurance products outside of the State Farm agency system.

In November of 1996, Don Jr. opened the Manhattan office of Inter Insurance Agency. To assist the agency with its growth, Don Jr. brought on Chinh Nguyen to manage the Manhattan office, focusing on more diverse clientele. Chinh is fluent in 3 languages: English, Japanese, and Vietnamese. A year later, Socorro Sanchez joined the Manhattan office as office manager, and works closely on the agency efforts in the Filipino market.

On February 14, 1998, Donald Derham passed away, and the agency portion of Inter-Insurance was opened. In the following year, the agency established its commercial division as part of its continued growth and vision to become a full-service wholesale brokerage and underwriting facility, including policy issuance and risk management services.

In June of 2000, Rollin Becker joined Inter-Insurance to spearhead the captive agency marketing effort as well as to maintain relationships with our premier direct market. Rollin had a successful 20-year career at State Farm in Mineola, New York.

July of 2001 marked the conclusion of a five-year project in the development of an offshore agency-owned insurance captive, The International Underwriting Insurance Company of Barbados. This captive aims to target the writing of specific high-quality risks. The program is still under development through outside consultants and reinsurance experts whose purpose is to continue to cultivate a relationship and work with Insurance Carriers and Reinsurers for Program business opportunities. An administration company, JRPG Administrators, Inc., was formed for the business development and daily operation of the Japanese Restaurant Purchasing Group and other similar business and niche program administration opportunities.

In October 2002, Tom Cirrincione joined Inter Insurance from HRH as Senior Vice President in charge of the Wholesale brokerage and Specialty programs. Tom brought over various specialty programs and is a national expert in Contingent and Excess Coverage. Inter Insurance became the runoff manager of a defunct cover holder and has successful re underwrote this book of business. It is currently a correspondent for the Underwriters at Lloyd's. It has specific underwriting skills in Commercial Physical Damage, Motor Truck Cargo, Contractors Equipment Floaters, Garage Keepers Legal Liability and Ocean Marine Coverage. The Agency's commercial division will continue to focus on the development of standard and specialty programs through retail agents. Its main focus is to develop an underwriting culture for all its retail partners.

In January 2011, Inter-Insurance relocated from Bellerose to Jericho, NY, conveniently located at the intersection of North Broadway and the Northern State Parkway.

In 2017, Inter-Insurance completed the year-long process of developing a Risk Retention Group, Universal Casualty, which specializes in catering to the Auto Service Industry. Universal Casualty is domiciled in Oklahoma and is currently licensed in New York, New Jersey, Georgia, California, Texas, and Florida.

Also in 2017, Inter-Insurance acquired Sieger & Smith, an agency based in Westchester that specializes in providing Workers Compensation Insurance for restaurants and country clubs through two exclusive NYSIF safety groups, Group 495 (Restaurants, Bars, & Taverns) and Group 577 (Country Clubs).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Richard Clarke
President, Fifteen Degrees
(212)-545-7435
rac@fifteendegrees.com

Universal Casualty Mandates the Use of Source Insurance’s Telematic Platform for All Auto Hauler Members To Save Lives and Reduce Risk

Jericho, N.Y. - April 11, 2019 Universal Casualty Risk Retention Group (UCRRG), part of Inter Insurance Agency, has signed an exclusive deal with Source Insurance Management Services, setting mandates for all of UCRRG’s new and existing members of the Auto Hauler’s program to install and use the advanced telematic platform in their vehicles.

“If you can move it, we can track it,” says Karen Karlis, President of Source Insurance, regarding her agency’s new telematics technology for fleet operations. This feature-rich mobile platform provides background data analytics and specific geo-fenced reports for both the clients and the trucking industry. With over 100 million automobiles shipped in the United States annually, industry innovation can spark widespread change. Fleet managers are better prepared if they have a plan in place in the case of any damage during vehicle transit.

“We firmly believe we will save lives, reduce insurance costs for our clients, and make the roads safer with our cutting edge and innovative loss control techniques,” says Tim Derham, President and CEO of Inter Insurance Agency, on the imperative benefits of this joint effort. With a focus on transparency, Karlis’s platform is part of a larger effort to clean up the industry and provide fleet managers with the reports that they need to harness their own loss control.

Through the flexibility to tailor rates, deductibles, and coverage for each individual member, the joint effort between Source Insurance and UCRRG is now another reason why UCRRG’s loss control remains unique and innovative.

“We offer all the coverages and the limits that auto haulers need and as we are a risk retention group we have flexibility on coverage and underwriting,” Mr. Derham further explains. “Universal Casualty offers $1,000,000 CSL on auto liability and we also offer cargo coverage including constructive total loss coverage.  There is no reason to go anywhere else."  

For more information, contact Timothy Derham at (516) 352-7500, ext. 1310, or visit Universal Casualty.

About Inter Insurance Agency/Universal Casualty Risk Retention Group

Founded in 1992, Inter Insurance Agency is a full-service wholesale brokerage and underwriting facility providing policy insurance and risk management services to homeowners and businesses in New York State, and nationwide. In 2017, Inter Insurance completed the year-long process of developing a Risk Retention Group, UCRRG, which specializes in catering to the Auto Service Industry. Universal Casualty is domiciled in Oklahoma, and is currently licensed in New Jersey, Georgia, and Florida. Universal Casualty writes through Inter Insurance Agency.

About Source Insurance Management Services

Source uses technology as an integrative and dynamic information flow between underwriters, carriers /reinsurers, claims, loss control and producer /insureds to improve underwriting and claims results as well as increase operational efficiencies for the insured. Source provides a platform for the commercial auto insurance environment to work together through technology to mitigate losses creating safer operation of towing and auto transport vehicles.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Richard Clarke
President, Fifteen Degrees
(212)-545-7435
rac@fifteendegrees.com

Sieger & Smith Announces Exclusive Partnership with ClubSafe Delivering Cutting-Edge Loss Control to Country Clubs Throughout New York State

Jericho, N.Y. - March 20, 2019 Sieger & Smith, a division of Inter Insurance Agency and group manager for New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) Safety Group 577, has joined forces with ClubSafe to help the more than 1,000 country clubs and private clubs throughout New York State who qualify for this safety group reduce their losses.

As New York’s first and only safety group established exclusively for country clubs and private clubs, Safety Group 577 has been helping group members reduce the costs associated with workers’ compensation such as premiums, claim costs, and experience modification with upfront discounts, annual dividends, and comprehensive services. Since its inception in 2006, Group 577 has paid over $3 million in dividends, with $1.3 million in the 2016 fiscal year alone. They offer loss prevention programs, including safety and new employee training, assistance with worksite safety issues, and general safety inspections.

 “This unique partnership with ClubSafe now affords Sieger & Smith clients a best practice level of loss prevention,” says Tim Derham, President of Inter Insurance Agency, parent company of Sieger & Smith. All policies are written by the NYSIF specifically for companies with an experience modification of 1.0 or less. NYSIF is the largest provider of worker's compensation insurance in New York and is well-known as an industry leader in price, quality and service. 

 “Any club can have strong health and safety programs”, says Patrick Roselli, President of ClubSafe.  “By following best practice standards for safety, a club can improve outcomes, reduce injuries and lower costs.  However, we have found that the key for this success lies in the commitment of Leadership.  If Managers vocally embrace safety policies and back up those words with actions, there is a demonstrable “bandwagon” effect with the rest of the Club staff.  With commitment and action from Managers, safety programs at Clubs will not only succeed but thrive.”

For more information, contact Timothy Derham at (516) 352-7500, ext. 1310, or visit www.interinsurance.com.

About Inter Insurance Agency / Sieger & Smith

Founded in 1992, Inter Insurance Agency is a full-service wholesale brokerage and underwriting facility providing policy insurance and risk management services to homeowners and businesses in New York State, and nationwide. In 2017, Inter Insurance acquired Sieger & Smith, an agency that specializes in providing Workers Compensation Insurance exclusively for restaurants, taverns and diners under Safety Group 495 and country clubs under Safety Group 577.

About ClubSafe

Since 1999, ClubSafe, Inc. has been developing and implementing comprehensive safety programs for private Clubs. Their Consultants embody a team of Emergency professionals, certified trainers, aquatic experts and Authorized OSHA instructors. ClubSafe partners with your Management team to operationalize comprehensive plans that are specific to the unique needs of your Club while adhering to OSHA’s General Industry guidelines and standards. A Club’s commitment to safety can help reduce accidents, injuries and ultimately claims. Safety is not only ClubSafe’s mission, it is truly their passion.

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