ACE Westchester Extends Its Product Recall Insurance to Small Businesses: Coverage Offers Crisis Management Solutions for Underserved Market Segment

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Product recalls have significantly increased in frequency and cost in recent years, causing serious financial and reputational risks for small businesses. However, many small businesses have been unable to access sufficient coverage through existing market offerings. Recognizing this unmet market need, ACE Westchester, today announced the introduction of ACE Recall Plus^SM for Small Business, which is unique in the industry because it offers customized product recall coverage for small businesses.

ACE Recall Plus for Small Business is available to companies with revenues of up to $25 million, and allows policyholders to select coverage based on their needs and obligations. ACE Westchester's expanded product recall coverage options protect the insured's balance sheet by reimbursing for covered financial losses resulting from a recall. This coverage also provides advisory services that can help small businesses respond quickly and effectively to protect their brand name.

“Product recalls can be complex and expensive for any business, particularly for a small business, and product recalls are more costly now than ever before,” said Florian Beerli, Senior Vice President, ACE Westchester Product Recall. “While it takes years for a business to develop its brand reputation, it can take only moments for that reputation to be tarnished.” Mr. Beerli noted that in September 2014, The Consumer Product and Safety Commission issued 25 product recalls, nearly one recall for every day of the month, and Food and Drug Administration data shows that there has been a surge in product recalls reported to the agency this year.

He added, “For a small business, a product recall incident can be devastating, causing financial disaster and potentially forcing a business to close its doors, but until now current market offerings made it difficult for small businesses to buy standalone product recall coverage. We've listened to the market and responded with our Recall Plus for Small Business insurance, which addresses this critical industry need.”

Three Distinct Insurance Policies

For the small business segment, ACE Westchester now offers prepackaged solutions with lower self-insured retentions and lower limits than are typically available in the market. ACE Recall Plus for Small Business offers three distinct insurance policies:

• Component Parts: Reimburses the financial loss from a covered insured event resulting from the use of component parts in the general manufacturing, electronic, medical device, automotive and aviation industry.
• Consumable Products: Reimburses the financial loss resulting from a covered insured event in the food and beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industries.
• Consumer Goods: Reimburses the financial loss resulting from a covered insured event in the areas of appliances, electronics/electrical, clothes, furniture, household goods, children's products, outdoor goods and products, sports/exercise equipment and products.

ACE Westchester's small business policyholders will have access to product recall consultants on a pre- and post-incident basis. These flexible, customized and tailored consulting services, also unique to ACE Westchester, provide the small business owner with a business partner who knows both the pitfalls and implications of product recalls and insurance coverage.

The above is a product summary only. The insurance policy actually issued contains the terms and conditions of the contract. All products may not be available in all states and surplus lines products can only be offered through licensed surplus lines producers.

ACE Westchester is part of ACE Group, which is one of the world's largest multiline property and casualty insurers. For more information about ACE Westchester, please click here. With operations in 54 countries, ACE provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance, and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. ACE Limited, the parent company of ACE Group, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange ACE and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information can be found at www.acegroup.com, or follow ACE on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ACEGroupNA.