New Logo - Same Pen

January 26, 2009

Brand reflects experience, tradition and  commitment to personal service. 

 
Merchants Bonding Company unveiled its new logo today.  The new look is designed to reflect today's Merchants, a leader in the surety industry, built on a continuing history of customer focus and innovative ideas meeting the unique needs of each agent and account.

"We have steadily grown Merchants into a surety provider that connects closely with agents, utilizing technology to extend our personal service, rather than using it to de-humanize our interactions,” said Merchants President Larry Taylor. "Our new logo reflects who we are, today, doing business in all 50 states, writing larger accounts and committed to innovations that contribute to our common sense approach. In the past several years we have expanded into new markets, created a new company in Texas, called Nations Bonding, developed online services, became a paperless operation, and added new marketing programs; all to ensure we make it easier, faster, and more profitable for agencies to choose Merchants.

The new Merchants logo is a new bolder treatment of the Merchants name alongside the traditional quill pen Merchants has used for decades as a symbol of our commitment to excellence in underwriting.  The logo is designed to be effective at-a glance and to lend itself to innovative animation for use in multi-media platforms. (See an example today on www.agc.org) 

"Our brand is one of our most prized assets and the value it brings to our business is immeasurable," added Therese Wielage, vice president marketing. "Our customers, our employees and our shareholders connect the most with what the brand stands for; quality, consistency, customer-focus and a values-rich culture. Today, we're strengthening all our attributes and giving our brand a contemporary look that is more relevant for business today - a bit less formal, but easily recognized, with links to our heritage and a nod to the future."

"From my vantage point, I've watched Merchants transition its business from a small bond provider to bonding $30,000,000.00 projects and becoming a true partner to our agents," said Bill Warner, Merchants board secretary. "Agencies seek us out as a market because they know long term, lucrative success will follow. We’re a stronger company across the board, and this brand change matches the face of Merchants with company we are today."

With the introduction of this new public web site, Merchants will now be updating the agent extranet over the course of 2009. Merchants is already changing the logo on all forms, printed materials, signage and business cards.  The announcement is being made to all employees, all 50 states of agencies and agents, reinsurers, business associates and vendors today, both in person and via the internet.

Merchants Bonding Company is the 19th largest surety provider in the United States, the largest provider in its home state of Iowa and has been "A" Rated by AM Best for 50 consecutive years.  Merchants celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2008 and is looking forward to the next 75 years in the surety industry.