NJM News

April 20, 2009

Contact: Patrick W. Breslin, 609-883-1300, ext. 7070

NJM Named "Distinguished Corporation of the Year"

WEST TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company has been honored by the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce as "Distinguished Corporation of the Year" because of NJM's community involvement and its reputation for quality service to insurance and banking customers.

NJM is the largest property-casualty insurer serving New Jersey, providing auto insurance, homeowners insurance and workers' compensation coverage. The Company was founded in Trenton in 1913, has been headquartered in West Trenton (Ewing Township) since 1966, and has long been an active member of the Mercer Chamber.

The award to NJM will be presented at the Chamber's Hall of Fame Dinner. Actor and entertainer Joe Piscopo will be the master of ceremony at the event Wednesday, 5:30-8:30 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Princeton.

"NJM gives back to the community in a variety of ways including our support of HomeFront and its mission to end homelessness in Mercer County by assisting families, especially single women with children, to become self sufficient" said Bernard M. Flynn, President and CEO. "Among the heart-warming drives by our employees each year are food collections for the needy and toys for children, which are donated to Mercer Street Friends, a fund-raising walk for the American Heart Association, and several blood donation events."

The “Distinguished Corporation of the Year” award also recognizes NJM’s reputation based on excellent service by employees while controlling costs for policyholders. NJM has returned $4.7 billion to policyholders over the past 91 years, including checks mailed to personal auto policyholders in each of the past 15 years. The most recent check was an average of $149 to 405,000 policyholders last November.

In this difficult economy, the NJM organization has proven to be resilient because of its careful stewardship of the premiums paid by policyholders and the deposits of Bank customers. In December, the nation's premier insurance rating agency, A.M. Best Company, reaffirmed its A++ rating for NJM, the highest rating possible. NJM Bank, which is wholly owned by the insurance company, finished 2008 with strong growth in assets and customers and continues lending for both personal loans and commercial real estate loans.