Riemer Offering "Green Insurance" Through Fireman's Fund

The Hallandale Beach-based Riemer Insurance Group is now offering “Green-Gard” coverage through the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. Green-Gard is a supplemental policy for property owners of commercial buildings that currently own green-certified property or have plans to make their building green certified in the near future. RIG is the first agency in the state to offer this new product endorsement, which reflects the growing trend toward using construction techniques that are environmentally friendly. “Our goal is to always immediately respond to market demands and stay on top of industry trends in an ongoing effort to offer our customers the most up-to-date, comprehensive insurance available,” said Stephen L. Riemer.

As a supplement to property insurance, Green-Gard offers the following coverage and products:

Green Real and Personal Property Upgrade: For owners of buildings that are not certified, and may or may not include green features, the coverage will provide for the cost of making defined, upgraded repairs in the event of a loss. In cases where there is a total loss to a green building, the coverage will pay the cost to rebuild it as a green-certified structure.

Certified Green Building Coverage: For owners of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or Green-Globes-certified buildings, the coverage will extend to repairs that meet those qualifications.

Building Commissioning Expense: The coverage pays for the cost to hire a commissioning engineer to oversee repairs to ensure that all of the building's power and operating systems are functioning at their maximum levels of performance.

ICustomerSeries(R) Green Resource Center: The center is an online collection of articles, tools, and other information that is designed to provide customers with information on the latest environmental building techniques and their benefits.

Among the industries that could have buildings that would benefit from the new building techniques and the economic benefits include commercial and multi-family real estate, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and various manufacturing and processing plants.

Besides its office in Hallandale Beach, RIG also has an office in Miami and an affiliate, Aspen Insurance Agency, Inc., in Atlanta. RIG is one of the state's largest independent agencies and has more than 8,000 clients, representing $88 million in premiums.