Alliance, NAII Join To Form PCI

The boards of two insurance company trade groups—the Alliance of American Insurers and the National Association of Independent Insurers—said they have approved a merger to form the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. If approved by the member companies of the two groups, PCI would begin operations in January. Jack Ramirez, president of the Des Plaines, Ill.-based NAII said the two boards are "strongly urging their members to vote in favor of the merger. PCI will create the nation‘s premiere trade association representing the property and casualty industry." He added that "with over 1,000 members that write approximately 40 percent of the market, PCI will have the resources and staff to provide its members with more and better services than they currently enjoy, and with the political strength to have a much more powerful voice in state capitals and in Washington