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National Interstate Insurance Company
National Interstate Insurance was founded in 1989 and is led by President and CEO Tony Mercurio. It is headquartered in Richfield, Ohio, and operates as an...
National Interstate Insurance Company
National Interstate Insurance was founded in 1989 and is led by President and CEO Tony Mercurio. It is headquartered in Richfield, Ohio, and operates as an independently run subsidiary of Great American Insurance Group, itself part of American Financial Group. The firm focuses narrowly on insurance products and alternative risk transfer programs for the commercial transportation industry, a segment it has served since inception. The underwriting portfolio spans commercial auto, workers’ compensation, general liability, physical damage, property, and cargo. It serves ambulance operators, bus fleets, crane and heavy-haul specialists, demolition contractors, energy services, forestry, limousine operators, non-emergency medical transport, towing, trucking, and waste management. Programs range from first-dollar policies to large-account structures, group captives, and deductibles. In 2023, the firm promoted a telematics integration that pulls driver data into underwriting and loss control, reflecting a shift toward behavior-based pricing. A Hawaii office in Kapolei extends coverage to Alaska via dedicated Vanliner-branded moving, storage, and last-mile delivery products. Exact premium volume and investment-portfolio assets are not publicly broken out from the parent, but the firm carries an A.M. Best rating of “A+ (Superior).” It maintains a claims and loss-control operation embedded alongside underwriting in Richfield. Adjacent vehicles include the Vanliner Insurance brand, focused on moving and storage, and membership in industry groups such as the United Motorcoach Association, American Trucking Associations, and National School Transportation Association. The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation appears in the firm’s philanthropic disclosures. National Interstate is structured as a monoline transportation underwriter inside a multi-line parent — a niche-stacking model that gives it room to price risk where generalists pull back, while the A.M. Best rating rides on Great American’s balance sheet. The dual identity — independent operating posture with group capital backing — defines its footprint in specialty commercial auto.
General information
Firm type
Insurance
Year founded
1989
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Richfield
Corporate office
3250 Interstate Drive, Richfield, OH 44286, United States
Additional offices
Kapolei, HI, United States
Principals
Tony Mercurio
President and CEO
Shawn Los
Chief Operating Officer and President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at National Interstate Insurance?
National Interstate is an operating insurance carrier rather than an asset manager. Underwriting and claims leadership sit with President and CEO Tony Mercurio and President/COO Shawn Los. Investment-portfolio decisions for the general account are managed at the parent level, Great American Insurance Group, which is ultimately owned by American Financial Group.
Is National Interstate structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Neither. National Interstate is a specialty property-casualty insurance underwriter, organized as a subsidiary of Great American Insurance Group. It writes policies and manages risk for transportation operators; it does not take equity stakes in portfolio companies in the venture-capital sense.
Does National Interstate participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm does not make third-party fund commitments as a limited partner. Its capital is deployed via direct underwriting of insurance policies — commercial auto, general liability, workers’ compensation, physical damage, and cargo — and through alternative risk transfer programs such as group captives and large-account structures.
What sectors does National Interstate explicitly avoid?
Publicly, National Interstate focuses entirely on commercial transportation and closely adjacent specialty classes (moving, storage, last-mile delivery). It does not underwrite personal lines, life insurance, or standard commercial outside its listed programs, which range from ambulance and bus to waste and energy services.
How is National Interstate related to Vanliner and Great American Insurance?
Vanliner Insurance Company is a sister brand operating under the same Richfield, Ohio management, focused on moving, storage, and last-mile delivery. Both are independently operated subsidiaries of Great American Insurance Group, which is rated ‘A+ (Superior)’ by A.M. Best and is ultimately owned by American Financial Group.
What is National Interstate’s known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
National Interstate is an underwriting carrier, not a general partner or co-investor. It does not co-invest alongside external GPs in private markets. Its capital is consumed in policy-level risk taking, with investment-portfolio management handled by the parent organization.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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