Executives of excess and surplus lines insurers, who are accustomed to the rough rides of turbulent underwriting cycles, say they will do more than hang on as the current soft market moves forward. Instead, as prices fall and competition heats up, they'll count on the lessons of experience and continue to build on a wide array of expansion strategies to fatten their bottom lines regardless of market conditions, three E&S leaders told National Underwriter recently.

“The experience and continuity of our underwriting staff pays dividends in this kind of a soft environment,” said Anthony Markel, president and chief operating officer of Richmond, Va.-based Markel Corp. “As they say in the Southwest, this ain't our first rodeo,” he added, repeating a remark he made to investors during his company's second-quarter earnings conference call.

Mr. Markel–who reported a 32 percent jump in net income to $219.9 million through six months for his company, along with a 4 percent drop in net premiums to $1.1 billion–summarized what he and his company's underwriters have learned from past soft markets.

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