Union Standard Insurance Group has become the 37th companymember of Trusted Choice, the independent agent branding initiativeof the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.

Union Standard is a property-casualty insurance group offeringspecialized commercial products and services meeting the needs ofbusiness customers throughout Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky,Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The companyis a subsidiary of Greenwich, Conn.-based W. R. BerkleyCorporation, an insurance holding company and a Trusted Choicecompany partner.

Craig W. Sparks, president of Union Standard Insurance, said ina statement: “Union Standard Insurance is pleased to become apartner to this exciting and quickly expanding consumer brandmovement. We strongly believe in independent agents and lookforward to working with Trusted Choice to promote its many benefitsto our distribution force and their policyholders.”

Robert A. Rusbuldt, chief executive officer of the Alexandria,Va.-based IIABA, noted: “We welcome Union Standard Insurance Groupinto the Trusted Choice family. By joining the Trusted Choice brandmovement, Union Standard Insurance Group is amplifying its alreadystrong commitment to the independent agency system.”

Launched in 2001, Trusted Choice is the national consumer brandcreated to educate consumers about the benefits of usingindependent insurance agents and brokers for their insuranceneeds.

In addition to the 37 company partners, nearly 6,200 independentagency and brokerage firms are participants in the program.

Additional information is available atwww.TrustedChoice.com.