What Continental Western Group does

Continental Western Group (CWG) is a Urbandale, Iowa-based commercial property and casualty insurance carrier that has been in continuous operation since 1886 and currently functions as a wholly-owned operating unit of W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB). The company underwrites a standard commercial lines portfolio — General Liability, Inland Marine, Property, Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, Motor Carrier, and Umbrella — supplemented by branded specialty programs targeting Fire/EMS Departments (Fire/EMS PAK), Public Entities (Public Entity PAK), Agribusiness (AgriSelect), and rural Telecommunications, plus an International Exposures Extension for cross-border coverage. Underwriting is distributed across five separately admitted insurance company subsidiaries (Continental Western Insurance, Union Insurance, Acadia Insurance, Firemen's Insurance Company of Washington, D.C., and Tri-State Insurance Company of Minnesota), each bearing independent statutory financial responsibility, with an A+ financial strength rating referenced in company material.

CWG distributes exclusively through independent insurance agents and brokers across 13 Midwest states (Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming); there is no direct-to-consumer sales motion. The agent experience is supported by a dedicated Agency Portal, while policyholder servicing runs on the MyBerkley customer portal (shared within the Berkley ecosystem) and premium payments are processed through an E-Pay Express service licensed from Fifth Third Bank.

The revenue model is fee/commission-style at the producer level and premium-based at the carrier level: CWG collects commercial insurance premiums — with quote-based pricing tied to industry, risk profile, limits, and claims history — under multiple billing cadences (Full Pay, Two Pay, Four Pay, Monthly Pay). The company employs between 251 and 500 people and serves primarily small-to-mid-sized commercial accounts across Fire/EMS, Contractors, Agribusiness, Manufacturing, Trucking/Transportation, Public Entities, Telecommunications, Equipment Dealers, Food Processing, and Wholesale Distribution verticals. No public revenue, headcount growth, or premium-volume disclosure is available.

Name

Continental Western Group

Legal name

Continental Western Group

Website

https://cwgins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Continental Western Group is a Midwest-focused commercial property/casualty insurer underwriting core and specialty coverages for small-to-mid-sized businesses through independent agents, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of W.R. Berkley Corporation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Insurance

NAICS

Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412), Other Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (524128)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Mid-Market Commercial Package (Package Policies) (FSAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Light Manufacturing / Small Industrial Package (FSAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance
• Workers compensation coverage
• Commercial property insurance
• General liability insurance
• Specialty insurance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbandale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums: CWG generates revenue primarily through commercial insurance policy premiums. The company offers multiple payment plans including Full Pay (single payment), Two Pay (two equal payments), Four Pay (four equal payments), and Monthly Pay options. Premium amounts vary based on coverage type, business sector, risk profile, and policy limits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Continental Western Group underwrites and services commercial insurance for small and mid-sized businesses in the Midwest. Core lines include General Liability, Property, Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, Motor Carrier, Inland Marine, and Umbrella coverage. Specialty programs target Fire/EMS departments, public entities, agribusiness, and rural telecommunications providers. All products are distributed through independent insurance agents and serviced through the MyBerkley customer portal and Agency Portal.

Product overview

Continental Western Group (CWG) is a commercial insurance provider that offers a comprehensive portfolio of core insurance products and specialty programs. The core product lineup consists of seven primary coverages: General Liability, Inland Marine, Property, Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto, Motor Carrier, and Umbrella insurance. These are supplemented by four specialty products: Fire/EMS PAK for fire departments and emergency services, Public Entity PAK for public entities and special districts, International Exposures Extension for international coverage needs, and Telecommunications for rural community coverage. CWG also provides an online bill payment service called E-Pay Express. The company primarily serves mid-sized businesses and specialty markets including agribusiness, contractors, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, food processors, equipment dealers, fire/EMS departments, trucking, and public entities throughout the Midwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AgriSelect: Specialized agribusiness insurance program for agricultural businesses.
• Fire/EMS PAK
• Public Entity PAK
• International Exposures Extension

Products and services

• General Liability Protects the insured against claims alleging legal responsibility for bodily injury or property damage caused to others; a core commercial general liability line for CWG commercial accounts.
• Inland Marine Coverage for many classes of property that typically involve an element of transportation; a core CWG commercial line for goods in transit and movable equipment.
• Property Coverage for damage to buildings or their contents resulting from fire, vandalism, and other covered causes of loss; a core commercial property line for CWG commercial accounts.
• Workers' Compensation Pays the cost of medical care, lost wages, and other benefits for employees injured in the course and scope of employment, as specified by state law; a core CWG line for employer statutory coverage.
• Commercial Auto Protects businesses against auto damage, loss, and liability for injuries or property damage caused by company vehicles; a core commercial auto line for CWG commercial accounts.
• Motor Carrier Coverage for businesses that use fleet vehicles to operate in the transportation of materials; a core CWG trucking and transportation line.
• Umbrella A liability policy that provides excess coverage above underlying policies; a core commercial umbrella/excess liability line for CWG commercial accounts.
• Fire/EMS PAK Specialty insurance program designed to address the highly technical and hazardous nature of services provided by fire departments and emergency medical services organizations.
• Public Entity PAK Specialty insurance program designed to address the unique nature of small public entities and special districts.
• International Exposures Extension A solution to extend coverages internationally for General Liability, Personnel Protection, Hired Auto, and Property exposures.
• Telecommunications Provides Property, General Liability, Business Auto, Inland Marine, and Crime coverage in one combined policy; designed for rural community telecommunications providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• CWG provides same-day contact from claims representatives following reported claims
• +1 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fifth Third BanksupportingTechnology or IntegrationFifth Third Bank provides the E-Pay Express online bill payment technology platform used by CWG customers to pay insurance premiums. The service allows customers to make payments using checking/savings accounts or payment cards. CWG licenses this service from Fifth Third Bank.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cwgins

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Continental Western Group