Island Insurance Company, Ltd., the State’s largest locally-owned property and casualty insurance carrier, has been recognized as one of the Top 50 property and casualty insurance companies in the nation by the Ward Group for the fifth consecutive year.  The Ward Top 50 recognition places Island Insurance within the top 2% of the leading property and casualty insurers in the nation.  Island Insurance is the first Hawaii-based property and casualty insurance company to achieve the Top 50 recognition for five consecutive years.

“We are very proud to once again be recognized as one of the top performing property and casualty insurance carriers in the country,” said John Schapperle, President and Chief Operating Officer of Island Insurance.  “Achieving this distinction for five consecutive years during a challenging economic period is a reflection of our excellent financial strength and the long-standing commitment by our outstanding employees, agency partners and loyal policyholders.”

Ward Group is a consulting firm specializing in the insurance industry, and is the leading provider of industry benchmarking and best practices services.  Each year, the company analyzes the financial performance of over 3,000 property and casualty insurance companies domiciled in the United States and identifies the top performers.  Each Ward Top 50 company has passed all safety and consistency screens and achieved superior performance over the five years analyzed (2007 – 2011).

Island Insurance Company, Ltd. is Hawaii’s largest locally-owned insurance carrier, offering a full range of property and casualty protection.  Founded in downtown Honolulu, Island Insurance has been serving Hawaii’s families and businesses for nearly 75 years and is the only Hawaii-Based company to be recognized as a Top 50 property & casualty insurer in the nation by the Ward Group for five consecutive years.  Island Insurance holds a financial strength rating of “A” (Excellent) from A.M. Best Company.  For more information, visitwww.islandinsurance.com.