Towerstone, Inc., a national specialty wholesale insurance broker, announced Thursday plans to grow its risk coverage capabilities. Four associates with advanced knowledge in wholesale underwriting have been hired to offer expanded insurance solutions for midmarket companies requiring niche coverages unavailable in the mainstream insurance market.
David Willbanks has joined the company as a small commercial underwriter and will connect businesses and insurance companies across the country with expedited access to Towerstone’s specialized coverages typically limited to large companies. He will expand Towerstone’s expertise with his past excellence in hospitality, healthcare and other industries.
Also adding to Towerstone’s small commercial services will be Production Underwriter Patrick Claggett. Together with Willbanks, Claggett will aggregate and package specialized coverages that everyday businesses require to advance their objectives. Claggett has more than 10 years of experience in the Dallas insurance industry and is a graduate of Baylor University.
Viewed as a critical vertical of Towerstone’s success, the company’s property division has experienced a significant investment in talent. Jim Bishop joins Towerstone to lead its property division to support multi-family developers, owners and operators. A stalwart in the Texas insurance market, Bishop is a former Texas Surplus Lines Association board member whose responsibilities have quickly advanced throughout his career.
Supporting Bishop’s property practice, Associate Broker Tyler Schultz has also joined the company to offer unique solutions such as builders’ risk, wrap-up and project-specific coverages for management firms and construction companies. Schultz is a 2011 graduate of Wake Forest.
“These talented professionals highlight Towerstone’s commitment of streamlining the buying experience for our clients,” said Towerstone Executive Vice President George Schneller. “Adding a lifetime of small commercial and property coverage experience to our already broad energy, construction and environmental services makes Towerstone a broker of choice for companies needing highly targeted insurance solutions.”