Recent Reports


2012-01-09: Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Banks Report
4 leading Analysts; and top management from 5 Sector Firms examine this industry.
Order this Report
More Information

2011-08-22: REITs Report
4 leading Analysts; 3 Money Managers; and top management from 3 Sector Firms examine this industry.
Order this Report
More Information

2011-08-08: US Banking Report: An Investor's Guide
In Depth Review of the US Banking Industry featuring 33 leading Analysts; and top management from 18 Sector Firms
Order this Report
More Information

2011-07-25: Insurance Report
7 leading Analysts; and top management from 6 Sector Firms examine this industry.
Order this Report
More Information

2011-03-21: S&L's, Investment Banks and Asset Management Report
10 leading Analysts; and top management from 12 Sector Firms examine this industry.
Order this Report
More Information

2011-03-07: Pacific and Southwest Banks
6 leading Analysts; and top management from 1 Sector Firm examine this industry.
Order this Report
More Information

2011-02-07: Southern and Midwestern Banks Report
6 leading Analysts; and top management from 4 Sector Firms examine this industry.
Order this Report
More Information

2011-02-07: REITs Report
5 leading Analysts; and top management from 3 Sector Firms examine this industry.
Order this Report
More Information

2011-01-10: Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Banks Report
7 leading Analysts; and top management from 1 Sector Firm examine this industry
Order this Report
More Information

2010-08-23: REITs Report
6 leading Analysts; 3 Money Managers; and top management from 2 Sector Firms examine this vital industry in this 56 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
Order this Report
More Information

2010-06-28: S&L, Investment Bank and Asset Management Report
7 leading Analysts; and top management from 3 Sector Firms examine this vital industry in this 26 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
Order this Report
More Information

2010-05-17: Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Regional Banks Report
2 leading Analysts; and top management from 4 Sector Firms examine this vital industry in this 37 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
Order this Report
More Information

2010-05-17: Insurance Report
6 leading Analysts; and top management from 7 Sector Firms examine this vital industry in this 43 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
Order this Report
More Information

2010-04-05: Southern & Midwestern Regional Banks Report
2 expert Roundtable Panels; 1 leading Analyst; and top management from 8 Sector Firms examine this vital industry in this 55 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
Order this Report
More Information

2010-03-08: Pacific & Southwest Regional Banks Report
6 leading Analysts; and top management from 3 Sector Firms examine this vital industry in this 37 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
More Information
Order this Report

2010-02-08: REITs Report
5 leading Analysts; and top management from 6 Sector Firms examine this vital industry in this 47 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
More Information
Order this Report

2009-12-07: China & Japan Report
3 leading Analysts; 10 Money Managers; and top management from 14 Sector Firms examine this vital industry in this 132 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
More Information
Order this Report

10.05.09: Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Regional Banks Report
2 roundtable forums, 5 analysts, and 14 sector firms examine the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Banking sector in this 121 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
More Information
Order this Report

09.21.09: Medical Real Estate: Healthcare REITs, Long-Term Care Facilities & Hospitals Report
3 analysts and 6 sector firms examine the medical real estate segment in this 45 page report from The Wall Street Transcript.
More Information
Order this Report

Search TWST Online

TWST Newsletter

Give us your email address and receive the TWST Newsletter.


Company Interview Excerpt
JOHN RIFE - UNITED FIRE & CASUALTY COMPANY (UFCS)


Full article published: 11/17/2003


For Subscribers

Get this article online now!

Order just this article
TWST: Would you begin with a brief historical sketch of United Fire & Casualty Company, and a picture of what you're doing at the present time?
Mr. Rife: This is a locally owned company. It was a family-started insurance company, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was started in 1946 by the Chairman's father, Scott McIntyre Sr. We're involved in the property and casualty and life business. We actually have a total of nine companies, but the P&C business is pooled together, and then the life company runs separately. We have offices in Cedar Rapids; Denver, Colorado; Galveston, Texas; and New Orleans, Louisiana. And we'll write in the neighborhood of 450 million probably this year. We have a small assumed reinsurance business, and in addition to the regular property and casualty lines, we do write some bonds also, Fidelity & Surety. So our emphasis really in the property and casualty side is on the commercial business. About 88%-89% of our business is non-personal lines, so, I guess I'm saying that personal lines make up 11%-12% of our business. We are probably a mid-market writer, some off Main Street, and we really consider our company an underwriting company. So our goal every year is to make an underwriting profit. And although we haven't been very successful at that in the last five years, I think the landscape is changing in the property and casualty business and we're anticipating some improvement in those lines.

TWST: What has been the problem over the last five years?
Mr. Rife: The problem is the same problem it always is with property and casualty companies: a soft market, catastrophes, large losses. It's not an unusual thing. And there are not many companies in the marketplace that have been writing an underwriting profit in the last five years. And I will say, if you look at the figures, you'll see that the United Fire Group, in the P&C side, has outperformed the industry on a combined basis since 1998.

 

Tickers included in this excerpt: UFCS

 

For more information call (212) 952 7433. The Wall Street Transcript does not endorse any of the comments made by interviewees, and does not make stock recommendations.