ABOUT US
Serving the people and businesses of Alaska.
Umialik Insurance Company has served the people and businesses of Alaska for over 40 years, working exclusively through Independent Insurance Agents. Our staff is headquartered in Anchorage, so when the unexpected happens, you can be sure you’ll be working with a local Umialik representative who knows and understands the uniqueness of this great state we call home.
Umialik is a member of the Western National Insurance Group, a super-regional group of five active companies serving the property-and-casualty insurance needs of individuals, families, and businesses in 20 U.S. states (and surety bonds in 43 states). Being a subsidiary of Western National Insurance Group gives us access to the financial resources that have earned the group an A+ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best Co. and a place among the Ward's Top 50 group of property-and-casualty insurance companies (which recognizes superior financial performance and stability over the past five years).
More information on our group of companies
A BRIEF HISTORY OF UMIALIK
Umialik Insurance Company was founded in 1981 when the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation in Utqiagvik, Alaska, saw a need for Native-owned insurance services. Umialik is Inupiaq for “Captain” – both as a captain of a whaling ship and as a leader in the community.
In 1981, our first policy was issued to an Alaskan Native corporation for a property in Utqiagvik. Since then, our focus has remained on offering insurance products for Alaskans, by Alaskans.
Our local underwriting and claims staff have the knowledge and expertise to write insurance coverage specifically tailored for Alaskans and Alaskan businesses. We offer both commercial and personal insurance products throughout the state, and we sell these products exclusively through professional Independent Insurance Agents.
In 2011, we became part of the Western National Insurance Group, expanding our product offerings and increasing our financial strength and stability. We currently have an “A+” (Superior) rating from A.M. Best, the insurance industry’s premier rating organization.
Today, Umialik Insurance Company employs more than 70 employees and continues to grow. Our office is based in Anchorage, Alaska, and we take pride in our history. Alaska is where we live, work, and play.
We are proud to serve our local communities and sponsor events, such as the March of Dimes for Babies, the Armed Forces YMCA Combat Veterans Fishing Tournament, and the Midnight Sun Fun Run in Fairbanks, which benefits children, adults, and seniors with disabilities in Interior Alaska. We also continue to sponsor events around the state in conjunction with the Independent Insurance Agents with whom we partner.
Alaska is our beginning, our focus, and our future.
OUR MISSION
To act with integrity in the service of others.
We will achieve this mission by maintaining financial strength and establishing lasting relationships with people and businesses who share these attributes with us:
- A passion for business and life
- A desire to serve others in need
- Adaptability to a changing world
- A strong sense of humility and humor
At Umialik, we understand the importance of having a brief yet memorable mission to guide us today and into the future. We believe the mission described above serves to endorse our past while providing quality guideposts for the present and the years ahead.
OUR GROUP
Umialik is proud to be a member of Western National Insurance Group. Being a part of this group of property-and-casualty insurance companies gives us access to financial resources that increase our financial strength and stability so we can better serve Alaskans across our state. Our Group consists of the following regional, standard property-and-casualty insurance companies:
Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company (Lansing, Mich.)
Affiliate of Western National Mutual Insurance Company
Umialik Insurance Company (Anchorage, Alaska)
Western National Assurance Company (Edina, Minn.)
Western National Mutual Insurance Company (Edina, Minn.)
The Group also owns non-standard carrier American Freedom Insurance Company (AFIC) of Mount Prospect, Ill.
Western National Insurance Group writes personal lines in the following states:
AK, IA, IL*, IN*, MN, PA*, SD, TN*, WI
Western National Insurance Group writes commercial lines in the following states:
IA, ID, MI**, MN, MT, ND, NV, NY**, OH, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI
Western National Insurance Group writes surety in the following states:
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ,
NM,
NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY
Together, our companies have a combined direct written premium of over $1 billion and total assets of over $2 billion.
*AFIC only
**Michigan Millers only
FINANCIALS
We're proud to back our insurance products with outstanding financial stability, which is evident in our strong balance sheet, our Superior (A+) financial rating from A.M. Best, and our recognition as a member of the Ward's Top 50 Benchmark Group for Property-and-Casualty Companies. This exceptional level of stability ensures that, even in the worst of disasters, we'll be able to continue providing for your specific insurance needs.
Visit the Western National Insurance Group website to view our Group's financials.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
At Umialik, we’re proud to be a local company offering quality insurance products for Alaskans, by Alaskans. But we don’t just stop there. We also continually work to reinforce the strength, health, and safety of the communities in which we work and live. Whether it’s volunteering to feed the hungry, collecting and sorting baby items for families with infant needs, or helping support and fund shelters for homeless at-risk youth, our commitment to community is an integral part of the way we do business.
Charitable Contributions
Our Group’s charitable giving program supports well-run, tax-deductible organizations in communities in which we do business. These nonprofits are nominated by our employees, and they aim to improve the lives of people in need of food, shelter, or clothing or who find themselves in situations where meeting the basic necessities of life is difficult. We are proud to serve our local communities, and a few of the organizations we have supported include Alaska Adoption Services (including the Community Diaper Pantry), Alaska Run for Women, and Fairbanks Resource Agency. We also continue to sponsor events around the state in conjunction with the Independent Insurance Agents with whom we partner.
Volunteerism
Our commitment to community involves more than simply direct financial support; Umialik strongly encourages employees to volunteer their time to organizations and events that help those in need. In the recent past, employees have represented Umialik by collecting, donating, and sorting food with Alaska Food Bank and by collecting, donating, and sorting diapers, formula, clothes, and more for families with infant needs with the Community Diaper Pantry. Our sponsorships, fund-matching, and eight hours of paid volunteer time make it easy for Umialik employees to make a difference in the community.
Scholarship Program
At Umialik, we think it’s important to ensure the leaders of tomorrow get the strong education they need today. That’s why our Group offers a scholarship program designed to ease the financial burden that college costs put on families of our employees and independent agency partners. The Western National Insurance Scholarship Program provides $3,000 in merit-based scholarships to eight eligible students who are beginning or continuing full-time undergraduate study in the fall of that year.