Zurich Engineering is promising new levels of service which it claims will make it the market leader in engineering and construction insurance.
The new division - formed from the old Eagle Star Engineering and Zurich Surveyor teams - has reconsidered traditional approaches and is promising to provide "total business insurance solutions." Zurich Engineering managing director Roger Cottell said: "We will be broadening the offer to our customers. If you can't deliver on service these days, you have a real problem.
"We are going to be the best in this business. I believe we will lead the market and set service standards for the others to follow."
Zurich is aiming to address its customers' total business needs in all aspects of risk - assessment, reduction, transfer and planning. Cottell said his group is making innovative use of technology to enhance customer service and improve productivity.
Central to this is its on-line reporting service, Esitrak, which allows staff, customers and brokers access to site reports and other data. Fresh enhancements are promised next spring.
The £55 million turnover division has seven branches, a dedicated telesales operation and an inspection team of 420 engineering surveyors working from home - 180 from Zurich and 240 from Eagle Star.
Cottell said that the access to Zurich's support networks by its 500 closest brokers led to a 22% growth last year.