White Mountains To Acquire NSM Majority Stake
White Mountains Insurance Group has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority equity stake in NSM Insurance Group [NSM], a leading specialty insurance program administrator.
“The transaction values NSM at approximately $388 million. White Mountains intends to fund the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and new debt issued by NSM,” the company said.
“NSM is a leading specialty insurance program administrator placing in excess of $500 million in premiums annually through its relationships with more than 6,000 brokerage firms and approximately 100 insurance carriers.
“NSM’s expertise covers a wide range of specialty insurance sectors such as collector cars, non-profit organizations, sports & wellness centers, specialty real estate and pet insurance. NSM’s deep industry knowledge and capabilities and longstanding relationships with insurance brokers and insurance carriers allow it to serve as a critical intermediary in the specialty insurance market.”
“We are pleased to make this investment in NSM alongside the management team. The company is high quality, and we believe there is tremendous opportunity to grow and expand the business,” said Manning Rountree, Chief Executive Officer of White Mountains.
“We look forward to working with Geof and his team and to providing them with support and resources to continue to grow the business organically and through acquisitions.”
“This transaction marks a new and exciting chapter of growth for NSM. We are thrilled to have the support of an experienced insurance investor with a long-term capital base as we set our course toward future success,” said Geof McKernan, Chief Executive Officer of NSM.
“We look forward to working with the White Mountains team to continue to execute on our growth strategy while delivering the best solutions and services to our insurance carrier partners.”
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2018. The closing is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The closing is not subject to a financing condition.
White Mountains is a Bermuda-domiciled financial services holding company traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Bermuda Stock Exchange under the symbol WTM.
