Texas Department of Insurance

Commissioner Betts Approves 13 Companies to Self-Insure for Workers' Compensation Claims

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2008
News Release

FOR MORE INFORMATION
General Information: Michelle Banks @ (512) 804-4203
Media: John Greeley @ (512) 463-6425

AUSTIN, TX –Thirteen companies with approximately 183,200 employees in Texas recently were approved to self-insure for workers' compensation claims for a one-year period under the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), Division of Workers' Compensation Self-Insurance Program.

Commissioner of Workers' Compensation Albert Betts approved initial applications for Certificates of Authority to Self-Insure for Bronco Drilling Company, Inc., headquartered in Edmond, OK, and Wal-Mart Associates, Inc., headquartered in Bentonville, AR.

Under Texas law, certain large, private companies can self-insure for workers' compensation claims, while retaining the protection of the Texas Workers' Compensation Act for the company and for its employees. To qualify, a company must have a minimum workers' compensation insurance unmodified manual premium of $500,000 and meet other requirements subject to annual review.

The following eleven companies received renewals of existing self-insurance certificates:

• AAA Cooper Transportation, Dothan, AL
• American Electric Power Company, Inc., Columbus, OH
• •Emerson Electric Company, St. Louis, MO
• FedEx Freight East, Inc., Harrison, AR
• Guardian Industries Corporation, Auburn Hills, MI
• International Paper Company, Memphis, TN
• Lowe's Home Center, Inc., Mooresville, NC
• The Sherwin-Williams Company, Cleveland, OH
• Unique Staff Leasing I, Ltd., Corpus Christi, TX
• Valero Energy Corporation, San Antonio, TX
• VF Corporation, Greensboro, NC

For more information on applying to the Self-Insurance Program, visit TDI's website at http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/si/index.html.

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Last updated: 10/30/2008