Schaumburg, Ill. (May 21, 2008) – Zurich, one of the world’s largest property-casualty insurance companies, announced today that its North America Commercial business has been named the endorsed insurance carrier of the California Motorcycle Dealers Association (CMDA) for general property and casualty insurance and its preferred provider for vehicle service contracts.

“Zurich was selected because of its longevity and reliability in the insurance industry,” said John Paliwoda, executive director of CMDA. “Zurich has consistently ranked high in the categories our members say are critical when selecting their insurance provider – quick claims response, ease of doing business and reliability. Zurich ranks at the top in all three categories.”

CMDA is the 37-year-old non-profit trade association for California motorcycle and motorsport dealers. More than 220 franchised dealers belong to the CMDA, which provides insight on current industry issues and trends, and advocates in the best business interests of their members. CMDA has a long-standing relationship with Zurich. Since 1998, the association has named Zurich its endorsed garage liability carrier.

Zurich’s Direct Markets business provides highly specialized products and services for the automotive and powersports industries, and it is widely recognized for its outstanding commitment to customer service and long-time policyholder satisfaction. These attributes were key to CMDA’s decision to continue endorsing Zurich as California’s largest motorcycle dealer liability and casualty insurer. Another factor was Zurich’s new motorcycle service contract, which provides flexibility that should meet the needs of all CMDA members – regardless of their operations’ size.

“Zurich is the leading provider of motorcycle dealership insurance in the U. S.,” said Bill Stoothoff, vice president of finance & insurance (F&I) for Zurich’s Direct Markets business. “Zurich has provided property and casualty insurance, and other financial services products to motorcycle dealers for more than 30 years. It’s a great honor to receive this recognition from such a well-respected organization like the California Motorcycle Dealers Association.”

Zurich offers the following products for motorcycle dealers:
• Commercial property and liability coverage
• F&I products including vehicle service contracts for motorcycles (on- and off-road), all-terrain vehicles and scooters
• Reinsurance and retrospective programs
• Training and consulting