News Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Marc Ramsey (202) 686-7463
mramsey@sio.org

SIO RECOGNIZES EXCELLENCE IN SURETY INDUSTRY

APRIL 21, 2009, WASHINGTON, DC—The Surety Information Office (SIO) has inducted Steven E. Minard, Minard-Ames Insurance Services LLC, into its prestigious Tiger Trust and awarded the 2008 Awards for Excellence in Surety Bond Promotion to 11 local surety associations (LSAs) for their yearlong commitment to education and outreach.

The Tiger Trust is an elite honorary society of surety industry professionals who work with private construction project owners and lenders to ensure that contract surety bonds are specified on their projects. Minard persuaded the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Arizona Inc. not to forgo a surety bond on the construction of its $220,000 commercial parking lot.

The Awards for Excellence in Surety Bond Promotion recognize LSAs that promote the value and benefits of contract surety bonds in construction. LSAs are independent organizations with no formal ties to SIO or the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) or The Surety & Fidelity Association of America.

The Silver Award for Excellence in Surety Bond Promotion recognizes LSAs that conduct at least five activities to promote surety bonds in construction. Recipients of the 2008 Silver award are:

• Surety Association of Kentucky
• Surety Association of Wisconsin

The Gold Award for Excellence in Surety Bond Promotion recognizes LSAs that conduct at least 10 activities to promote surety bonds in construction. Recipients of the 2008 Gold award are:

• Surety Association of Arizona
• Florida Surety Association
• Surety Association of Illinois
• Surety Association of Indiana
• Surety Association of Kansas City
• Surety Association of Ohio
• Surety Association of San Diego
• Surety Underwriters Association of Southern California
• Surety Association of St. Louis

The Tiger Trust plaque and Awards for Excellence in Surety Bond Promotion will be presented April 29, 2009, at the NASBP annual meeting in Palm Springs, CA, and the SFAA annual meeting May 13, 2009, in Washington, DC.

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SIO was formed in 1993 to disseminate information about the benefits of contract surety bonding in private and public construction. Located in Washington, DC, SIO is supported by the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) and The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA). Surety bonding is a careful, rigorous, and professional process in which sureties prequalify contractors and assure project owners that these contractors are capable of performing the contract and will pay certain subcontractors and suppliers associated with the project. For information on the benefits of surety bonds in construction, contact the Surety Information Office at (202) 686-7463 or www.sio.org.