Western Surety
Western Surety is Canada's only insurance company devoted exclusively to underwriting surety bonds, offering contract surety for construction and commercial surety for licensing, customs, and fiduciary needs through an appointed broker network across all Canadian provinces and territories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1909
- HeadquartersRegina, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Western Surety does
Western Surety Company, founded in 1909 and headquartered in Regina, Saskatchewan, is a privately held Canadian insurance company that exclusively underwrites surety bonds. It is the only insurance company in Canada devoted exclusively to this product line, writing both contract surety (performance, payment, and bid bonds for public and private construction projects) and commercial surety (license and permit bonds, lost document bonds, administration and guardianship/fiduciary bonds, and customs and excise bonds). The firm is licensed to operate in all Canadian provinces and territories and is part of the family-owned Hill Group of Companies, with the Hill family having been involved since 1947 and Matthew Hill appointed Chairman of the Board in December 2023 as part of a generational leadership transition.
The company distributes exclusively through a network of appointed licensed insurance brokers rather than selling directly to end customers. Brokers access Western Surety's products through a proprietary E-Services web portal (eservices.westernsurety.ca) that allows them to issue commercial and contract bonds, check approval status, edit recently issued bonds, look up customers, and access rate information online. Regional offices in Regina (headquarters), Saskatoon, Vancouver, Toronto (Mississauga), and Dartmouth provide broker support across the country. Western Surety holds an A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best (achieved June 2020) and markets a service-level commitment of an initial response on new business submissions within one business day, supported by what it describes as more than 250 years of combined surety experience across its team.
Revenue is generated primarily through surety bond premiums paid by principals (typically contractors, businesses, and fiduciaries) in exchange for the surety's guarantee of performance or compliance. Premiums are risk-priced during underwriting based on the principal's financial standing, credit history, experience, and character, with collateral (such as irrevocable letters of credit or certificates of deposit) requested only for higher-risk situations. The customer base is highly fragmented across construction contractors, commercial businesses requiring licensing or permit compliance, estate executors and guardians, and import/export businesses needing customs bonds. In September 2025, Western Surety announced the acquisition of the SGI Canada Surety Portfolio, signaling inorganic expansion of its premium base.
Western Surety firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Western Surety
- Legal name
- Western Surety Company
- Website
- https://westernsurety.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1909
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Western Surety is Canada's only insurance company devoted exclusively to underwriting surety bonds, offering contract surety for construction and commercial surety for licensing, customs, and fiduciary needs through an appointed broker network across all Canadian provinces and territories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Western Surety industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Surety Insurance
- NAICS
- Other Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (524128), Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412)
- SIC
- Surety Insurance (6351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contract Surety Bonds (FSAJAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Surety Bonds (FSAJAIAB), License & Permit Bonds (FSAJAIAF), Notary / Bail / Miscellaneous Consumer Bonds (FSAJAIAK)
Keywords
Where Western Surety is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Regina
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Western Surety business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Surety Bond Premiums: Western Surety generates revenue through the issuance of surety bonds for the construction industry and commercial sector. Premiums are paid by principals (typically contractors or businesses) as a service fee for the surety's guarantee of performance. The bond premium covers underwriting expenses and represents compensation for the credit extension provided.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Western Surety product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Western Surety underwrites and issues surety bonds exclusively for the Canadian market, split into Contract Surety (performance, payment, and bid bonds for construction projects) and Commercial Surety (license and permit, lost document, administration/guardianship, and customs and excise bonds). Bonds are written through appointed licensed insurance brokers, with no direct-to-consumer sales, and are processed via the company's E-Services Broker Portal. Premiums are risk-based, calculated from the principal's financial standing, credit, experience, and character.
Product overview
Western Surety is Canada's only insurance company devoted exclusively to writing surety bonds. The company offers two core product lines: Contract Surety (protecting construction project completion) and Commercial Surety (covering license/permit, customs, lost document, and fiduciary bonds). Both products are accessed through the E-Services Portal, a web-based broker platform for issuing bonds and managing accounts. The company operates exclusively through a broker network across all Canadian provinces and territories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Contract Surety
Quantifiable outcome
- Initial response within one business day for new business submissions
Companies that use Western Surety
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Western Surety technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Western Surety partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Hill Group of CompaniescoreWestern Surety is part of the Hill Group of Companies, a family-owned business group. The Hill family has been involved in the company since 1947 when Fred Hill joined the business. The group maintains a long-standing presence in Canadian business with Paul J. Hill serving as Chairman and Matthew Hill appointed as Chairman of the Board in 2023.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Western Surety competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Western Surety social profiles
Digital presenceWestern Surety financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Western Surety leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Western Surety funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Western Surety M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Western Surety
What does Western Surety do?
Western Surety underwrites and issues surety bonds exclusively for the Canadian market, split into Contract Surety (performance, payment, and bid bonds for construction projects) and Commercial Surety (license and permit, lost document, administration/guardianship, and customs and excise bonds). Bonds are written through appointed licensed insurance brokers, with no direct-to-consumer sales, and are processed via the company's E-Services Broker Portal. Premiums are risk-based, calculated from the principal's financial standing, credit, experience, and character.
Is Western Surety a public or private company?
Western Surety is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Western Surety founded?
Western Surety was founded in 1909. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Western Surety based?
Western Surety is headquartered in Regina, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Western Surety make money?
One revenue line is on record: surety Bond Premiums.
Does Western Surety have an API?
No public API is recorded for Western Surety.
What industry is Western Surety in?
Western Surety's product category is Surety Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAIAA, Contract Surety Bonds, with a secondary code of FSAJAIAB, Commercial Surety Bonds. Its NAICS code is 524128 and its SIC code is 6351.