New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company
Encyclopedia
New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company or NJM offers commercial auto, personal auto, workers' compensation, homeowner's, flood, and umbrella insurance. The company formed in 1913 by a group of factory owners seeking workmen's compensation coverage. NJM has grown to provide insurance to more than 700,000 policyholders living in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. NJM has been partnered with NJBIA, or the New Jersey Business and Industry Association
, since the day it first started writing insurance policies. Those seeking NJM insurance must be an exclusive member of NJBIA, or an employee of an NJBIA member or the state of New Jersey to fulfill the eligibility requirements.
NJM began issuing dividends to policyholders in 1918, and has continued this practice in each subsequent year - even during the years of the Great Depression
.
In 1921, New Jersey Manufacturers Association Fire Insurance Company was established, in order for NJM to cover property loss, commercial auto accidents, private automobiles, as well as homes. This involved NJM in multiple lines of insurance. In 1951, the Company changed its name to New Jersey Manufacturers Indemnity Insurance Company, which combined auto bodily injury and property loss into one.
The Indemnity Insurance Company was combined with the Casualty Insurance Company in 1965 to form today's New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company. NJM Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary
of NJM, opened in 1999.
NJM’s main office has been in West Trenton, New Jersey
, since 1966. Personal Lines and Commercial Lines Underwriting, General Claims and the Medical Services Administration are headquartered there, as are most support services for Company operations. NJM has had offices in North Jersey since the 1950s, and the Company's North Jersey branch has been in Parsippany since 1996. The South Jersey branch opened in Hammonton
in 2000, offering customer service, claims, and sales operations for the company.
, and soon after incorporated auto insurance into its coverage offerings. Today, NJM is the largest writer of both of those lines in New Jersey, with nearly 790,000 private passenger autos insured in New Jersey and another 18,000 in Pennsylvania; and $328.9 million in direct premiums written for workers compensation in 2010.
NJM also owns three insurance subsidiaries as well as a financial subsidiary that is NJM Bank. The oldest subsidiary is New Jersey Re-Insurance Company (NJRe), which started writing policies in 1978 and currently provides workers' compensation, personal auto, and homeowners coverage’s, as well as excess personal liability ("umbrella") insurance for members who have both auto and homeowners coverage by NJM.
The other two insurance subsidiaries were formed in 1999 to write coverage in the assigned risk markets – New Jersey Casualty Insurance Company for workers’ compensation and New Jersey Indemnity Insurance Company for personal auto.
NJM Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and an Equal Opportunity Lender. It has locations in West Trenton, Parsippany, and Hammonton, New Jersey with nearly 23,000 deposit accounts as of December 2010.
New Jersey Business and Industry Association
The New Jersey Business & Industry Association is an employer association providing information, services and advocacy for its member companies in order to build a more prosperous New Jersey. It is the state's largest business association with 23,000 member companies, as of 2006...
, since the day it first started writing insurance policies. Those seeking NJM insurance must be an exclusive member of NJBIA, or an employee of an NJBIA member or the state of New Jersey to fulfill the eligibility requirements.
History
NJM, originally known as New Jersey Manufacturers Casualty Insurance Company, formed as a workers’ compensation insurance company during the early 1900s, when industrialization in America was at its peak. The Company grew, expanding to auto insurance soon after being established in 1913.NJM began issuing dividends to policyholders in 1918, and has continued this practice in each subsequent year - even during the years of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
In 1921, New Jersey Manufacturers Association Fire Insurance Company was established, in order for NJM to cover property loss, commercial auto accidents, private automobiles, as well as homes. This involved NJM in multiple lines of insurance. In 1951, the Company changed its name to New Jersey Manufacturers Indemnity Insurance Company, which combined auto bodily injury and property loss into one.
The Indemnity Insurance Company was combined with the Casualty Insurance Company in 1965 to form today's New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company. NJM Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of NJM, opened in 1999.
NJM’s main office has been in West Trenton, New Jersey
West Trenton, New Jersey
West Trenton, New Jersey is a section of the Trenton suburb of Ewing Township, located just northwest of the capital's city limits.It is home to the New Jersey State Police Headquarters, Trenton-Mercer Airport, Trenton Country Club , New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company, The Homasote Company,...
, since 1966. Personal Lines and Commercial Lines Underwriting, General Claims and the Medical Services Administration are headquartered there, as are most support services for Company operations. NJM has had offices in North Jersey since the 1950s, and the Company's North Jersey branch has been in Parsippany since 1996. The South Jersey branch opened in Hammonton
Hammonton, New Jersey
Hammonton is a town in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 14,791. It is located directly between Philadelphia and the resort town of Atlantic City, along a former route of the Pennsylvania Railroad currently used by New Jersey...
in 2000, offering customer service, claims, and sales operations for the company.
Lines of business
The Company originally began with writing workers' compensationWorkers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
, and soon after incorporated auto insurance into its coverage offerings. Today, NJM is the largest writer of both of those lines in New Jersey, with nearly 790,000 private passenger autos insured in New Jersey and another 18,000 in Pennsylvania; and $328.9 million in direct premiums written for workers compensation in 2010.
NJM also owns three insurance subsidiaries as well as a financial subsidiary that is NJM Bank. The oldest subsidiary is New Jersey Re-Insurance Company (NJRe), which started writing policies in 1978 and currently provides workers' compensation, personal auto, and homeowners coverage’s, as well as excess personal liability ("umbrella") insurance for members who have both auto and homeowners coverage by NJM.
The other two insurance subsidiaries were formed in 1999 to write coverage in the assigned risk markets – New Jersey Casualty Insurance Company for workers’ compensation and New Jersey Indemnity Insurance Company for personal auto.
NJM Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and an Equal Opportunity Lender. It has locations in West Trenton, Parsippany, and Hammonton, New Jersey with nearly 23,000 deposit accounts as of December 2010.
Financial strength and service ratings
- NJM was named a 2011 Customer Service Champion by J.D. Power and Associates, one of only 40 companies in 12 major industries nationwide.
- A.M. Best Company financial strength rating: A++ (Superior rating) Only 1.7% of rated carriers have achieved this ranking.
- NJM has consistently received good service ratings from A.M. Best since it was first recognized by the company in 1922. NJM's Best rating has been “A” or better in each and every year except for a "C" rating in 1933.
- NJM generated zero valid complaints in both 2006 and 2010, making it the second unblemished record in five years, according to the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. NJM has consistently scored some of the lowest complaint ratios among other major insurance insurers since the Department started issuing the Auto Insurance Consumer Report in 1987. In the most recent report, covering 2009, NJM had the best score of all carries insuring at least 25,000 autos.
- NJM has been rated #1 in “Leading Writer of Property Casualty Insurance and #1 writer of workers' compensation, in a study done by the Insurance Information Institute. The study also shows NJM as the #3 leading writer of homeowners insurance and personal auto insurance in NJ, as well as the #4 leading writer of commercial property/casualty.