CRC Specialty, the wholesale distribution division of CRC Group, has expanded its team with four new appointments across underwriting and brokerage roles in Florida, Texas, and South Carolina.
The expansion comes as these states remain among the country’s highest-volume surplus lines markets, alongside California and New York, according to AM Best research published in April 2025.
The appointments also coincide with continued growth in the US excess and surplus (E&S) insurance market. Direct premiums written in the sector reached a record $129.8 billion in 2024, marking the seventh consecutive year of double-digit growth, according to AM Best. As the market expands, demand for experienced wholesale underwriters and brokers continues to increase.
Four Appointments Across Key Specialisms
Hart Slade joins CRC Specialty as an underwriting team leader in Sumter, South Carolina. He brings more than 10 years of experience in personal lines underwriting, with expertise in high-net-worth clients and difficult-to-place risks. His experience includes managing substantial books of business, supporting portfolio growth, and mentoring underwriting teams.
Brian Stephens has joined as a broker in Austin, Texas. With nearly 20 years of experience, Stephens has worked across E&S brokerage, underwriting operations, and branch leadership. His background includes managing all-lines E&S placements and developing relationships across retail and carrier channels.
Tyler Fuchs takes on the role of underwriting team lead in Charleston, South Carolina. His experience in commercial risk evaluation and account servicing will support CRC’s retail agency partners throughout the placement process.
Alyssa Scher has joined the Tampa, Florida, office as senior associate underwriting team leader. She brings more than five years of underwriting experience, including work in account management, risk assessment, and team development.
Why Wholesale Capacity Is Becoming Increasingly Important
The locations and areas of expertise represented by the new hires reflect regions where pressure on the E&S market remains particularly significant.
Florida and Texas face some of the highest levels of catastrophe exposure in the United States. In both states, admitted carriers have reduced their participation in certain property insurance lines, shifting more business toward the non-admitted market.
AM Best noted in its April 2025 report that extreme weather events and rising loss costs had led admitted insurers to reassess their risk appetite. As a result, surplus lines carriers have taken on business that has been displaced from the admitted market.
This shift is also changing the way retail brokers work. According to IBA’s 2025 5-Star Wholesale Brokers and MGAs report, 33% of retail brokers now place more than half of their business through wholesale partners, compared with 23% in the previous year.
Although E&S market growth slowed in 2025, the sector continued to expand. AM Best reported in January 2026 that surplus lines premiums increased by 9.7% through the third quarter of 2025, compared with growth of 13.5% during the same period in 2024.
The slower pace was linked to increased competition in commercial property, cyber, and directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance. However, the E&S market continued to play an important role in covering complex risks that admitted carriers were unwilling to accept, particularly catastrophe-exposed property and high-hazard casualty risks.
CRC’s Broader Growth Strategy
The four appointments form part of CRC Group’s wider expansion efforts.
In May 2025, the company acquired ARC Excess & Surplus, a boutique wholesale broker specializing in management and professional liability. The business works with more than 250 carrier partners and handles over $1 billion in annual premium. The acquisition strengthened CRC’s ExecPro professional liability practice.
According to the company, CRC Group places approximately $32 billion in annual premium across property and casualty and employee benefits. The organization operates with around 6,300 employees across the United States and 11 countries.
