SUNZ Insurance
SUNZ Insurance is a Bradenton, Florida-based specialty workers' compensation carrier underwriting large deductible and guaranteed cost programs for PEOs, staffing agencies, transportation companies, and large corporations across 42+ U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersBradenton, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SUNZ Insurance does
SUNZ Insurance Company is a Bradenton, Florida-domiciled specialty workers' compensation carrier founded in 2005 to serve Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), staffing agencies, transportation companies, and large corporations—segments traditional carriers often under-serve due to wage volatility, high turnover, and co-employment risk. The company underwrites both large deductible programs (with a $100K minimum deductible) and guaranteed cost programs, customizing financial structure, collateral, and captive arrangements to optimize client cash flow and risk/reward balance. Its offering is built on a proprietary technology-driven underwriting and claims platform augmented by a vertically integrated services stack operated through SUNZ Holdings affiliates: Next Level Administrators (claims admin), WatchPoint (SIU/fraud), Avalon Subrogation Partners (recovery, including a documented $2.1M California construction recovery), Ascential Care Partners (care services), and DiffRins (captive/alternative risk). The revenue model is dominated by recurring workers' compensation insurance premiums with ancillary managed-services revenue from affiliates; pricing is quote-based and customized per client.
SUNZ scaled from a 5-employee startup to 350-365 employees nationwide and grew direct licensing from 16 states (2020) to 42-43 states by late 2022, with all-50 coverage achieved through a fronting partnership. Late-2020 capital from Blackstone Tactical Opportunities (a Blackstone / NYSE: BX arm) catalyzed this expansion, and was followed by AM Best assigning a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) in July 2021, affirmed in August 2022 with stable outlook. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, broker/agent relationships, a NAPEO Gold membership with Diamond designation, ASA membership, and active conference presence. Executive leadership—CEO Steve F. Herrig, President Rick Leonard, CFO Jeffrey Marshall, CUO David Brodsky, CISO Glen J. Distefano—reflects a recent professionalization of finance, underwriting, and security functions post-investment, and historical M&A (Ascential Care Partners, Risk Management America, both 2018) shows continued affiliate-buildout appetite.
SUNZ Insurance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SUNZ Insurance
- Legal name
- SUNZ Insurance
- Website
- https://sunzinsurance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- SUNZ Insurance is a Bradenton, Florida-based specialty workers' compensation carrier underwriting large deductible and guaranteed cost programs for PEOs, staffing agencies, transportation companies, and large corporations across 42+ U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SUNZ Insurance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workers' Compensation Insurance
- NAICS
- Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412)
- SIC
- Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance (FSAJAKAM)
Keywords
Where SUNZ Insurance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bradenton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SUNZ Insurance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Workers' Compensation Insurance Premiums: SUNZ Insurance generates revenue primarily through workers' compensation insurance premiums. The company offers both guaranteed cost and large deductible workers' compensation programs starting at a minimum of $100K. Programs are customized to satisfy unique client needs and risk tolerances.
- Managed Services and Affiliate Services: Through affiliated companies (Next Level Administrators, WatchPoint, Avalon Subrogation Partners, Ascential Care Partners), SUNZ provides ancillary services including claims management, safety and loss management, fraud investigation, and subrogation and recovery services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Large Deductible Workers' Compensation Programs - focused on reducing insurers' up-front premium costs with potential tax benefits and lower initial costs. |
| Subscription | Annual | Guaranteed Cost Workers' Compensation Programs - set cost that does not fluctuate throughout the policy period. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
SUNZ Insurance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SUNZ Insurance underwrites and delivers large deductible and guaranteed cost workers' compensation insurance programs, primarily serving PEOs, staffing agencies, transportation companies, and large corporations. The company offers customized coverage with minimum $100K deductibles, supported by affiliated services for claims management, safety/loss control, captive program administration, and subrogation recovery. SUNZ Insurance is licensed to write policies in 42-43 states and extends coverage to all 50 states via fronting partnerships.
Product overview
SUNZ Insurance is a national workers' compensation insurance company offering a core insurance product with multiple program types. The main offering is Workers' Compensation Insurance with two primary program variants: Large Deductible Programs (high-deductible options starting at $100K for cost reduction) and Guaranteed Cost Programs (set flat rates for small-to-medium businesses). The company differentiates through affiliated service modules including Safety & Loss Control Services, Claims Management, Captive Programs (via DiffRins), and Subrogation & Recovery Services (via Avalon Subrogation Partners). Together, these create a comprehensive 360-degree approach to workers' compensation coverage.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Workers' Compensation Insurance
- Large Deductible Workers' Compensation Programs
- Guaranteed Cost Workers' Compensation Programs
- Captive Insurance Programs
- Safety and Loss Control Services
- Claims Management
- Subrogation and Recovery Services
Quantifiable outcome
- AM Best A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating achieved and affirmed (2021, 2022)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SUNZ Insurance
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SUNZ Insurance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
SUNZ Insurance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NAEPO (National Association of Professional Employer Organizations)coreSUNZ Insurance is a Gold Member of NAPEO with Diamond Designation. The company actively participates in NAPEO conferences and events including the Annual Conference, Risk Management Workshop, and served as Bronze Medallion Partner and sponsor.
- ASA (American Staffing Association)minorSUNZ Insurance is an ASA member, participating in industry events like ASA Staffing World.
- DiffRinscoreThrough affiliate DiffRins, SUNZ provides captive insurance program solutions, helping clients realize the full scope of their risk environment and customize captive models that meet their objectives and risk appetite.
- Avalon Subrogation PartnerscoreSUNZ affiliate Avalon Subrogation Partners provides subrogation and recovery services using experienced professionals, Day One approach, and smart technology to maximize subrogation recovery for clients. Recovered $2.1 million on a California construction case.
- WatchPointcoreSUNZ affiliate WatchPoint provides Special Investigative Unit (SIU) services for fraud investigation as part of the comprehensive 360-degree approach to workers' compensation cases.
- Next Level AdministratorscoreSUNZ affiliate providing administrative services within the SUNZ Holdings enterprise that provides related and ancillary services to the workers compensation insurance industry.
- Ascential Care PartnersminorSUNZ affiliate providing care-related services within the SUNZ Holdings enterprise network of companies providing ancillary services to the workers compensation insurance industry.
- Fronting Partnership NetworkcoreSUNZ Insurance offers workers' compensation insurance coverage in all 50 states through its fronting partnership, enabling coverage beyond licensed states through strategic partnerships.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SUNZ Insurance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sentry Insurance: Mutual specialty insurer with a long-standing workers' compensation franchise serving mid-market and commercial accounts; comparable underwriting focus and customer profile to SUNZ's large-corporate segment.
- AmTrust Financial Services: Large specialty P&C carrier with a significant workers' compensation franchise, particularly strong in small commercial and PEO-adjacent segments — directly comparable to SUNZ's core workers' comp underwriting model.
- EMPLOYERS (EIG): Pure-play workers' compensation specialty carrier focused on small-business accounts; competes head-to-head with SUNZ in the same workers' comp niche with similar underwriting appetite.
- FCCI Insurance Group: Regional specialty workers' compensation carrier focused on commercial accounts in the Southeast and select states; directly comparable niche underwriting focus to SUNZ's specialty model.
- Accident Fund Holdings: Specialty workers' compensation carrier (AF Group) focused exclusively on workers' comp, with similar product-led, niche-underwriting orientation to SUNZ.
Broad incumbents
- Travelers: Major national P&C insurer with a strong workers' comp book across commercial segments; competes with SUNZ on enterprise accounts and large-deductible programs at the high end of the market.
- Zurich North America: Large multinational P&C carrier with a workers' comp franchise serving mid-to-large commercial accounts in the US; comparable on large-deductible program structures.
- Liberty Mutual Insurance: Top-five US P&C insurer with a national workers' compensation offering and significant large-deductible/deductible program presence across multiple industries.
- The Hartford: Large diversified P&C carrier with a sizable workers' compensation line serving mid-market and large commercial accounts — competes with SUNZ on larger accounts while also offering broader product suites.
- Chubb: Global P&C giant offering workers' comp within a broader commercial insurance portfolio; overlaps with SUNZ in large-corporate and specialty accounts but does not focus on PEOs or staffing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SUNZ Insurance social profiles
Digital presenceSUNZ Insurance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
SUNZ Insurance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SUNZ Insurance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
SUNZ Insurance subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
SUNZ Insurance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SUNZ Insurance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SUNZ Insurance
What does SUNZ Insurance do?
SUNZ Insurance underwrites and delivers large deductible and guaranteed cost workers' compensation insurance programs, primarily serving PEOs, staffing agencies, transportation companies, and large corporations. The company offers customized coverage with minimum $100K deductibles, supported by affiliated services for claims management, safety/loss control, captive program administration, and subrogation recovery. SUNZ Insurance is licensed to write policies in 42-43 states and extends coverage to all 50 states via fronting partnerships.
Is SUNZ Insurance a public or private company?
SUNZ Insurance is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was SUNZ Insurance founded?
SUNZ Insurance was founded in 2005. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is SUNZ Insurance based?
SUNZ Insurance is headquartered in Bradenton, United States, in the North America region.
How does SUNZ Insurance make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Workers' Compensation Insurance Premiums are the primary driver. The others are managed Services and Affiliate Services.
Who are SUNZ Insurance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sentry Insurance, AmTrust Financial Services, EMPLOYERS (EIG), FCCI Insurance Group and Accident Fund Holdings. Broad incumbents are Travelers, Zurich North America, Liberty Mutual Insurance, The Hartford and Chubb.
Does SUNZ Insurance have an API?
No public API is recorded for SUNZ Insurance.
What industry is SUNZ Insurance in?
SUNZ Insurance's product category is Workers' Compensation Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAKAM, Workers’ Compensation Insurance. Its NAICS code is 524126 and its SIC code is 6331.