ICW Group (ICW), which has been working with Accelerant for just over four years, is now one of the UK’s leading providers of building warranties and control services. ICW is composed of three divisions including ICW Insurance Services; ICW Technical Services (which is a chartered surveying company registered with the RICS); and ICW Building Control which is a Registered Building Control Approver regulated by the Building Safety Regulator.
ICW partners with house builders and developers across all project sizes, from single homes to large commercial buildings. Theirs is a long-tail business and their unique value lies in providing long-term protection with 10-12 year warranties – aligning perfectly with UK lenders’ requirements for homeowner protection and loan stability.
Starting out in 2015, ICW has experienced positive business growth over the years. Initially working with small and medium-sized housebuilders and developers to provide warranties for newly built homes, ICW now offers a range of warranty products for their clients. Strategic partnerships with insurers and particularly with Accelerant has empowered them to expand their capacity. By being able to tackle larger developments and higher value projects, ICW cemented their position as a major provider, offering comprehensive warranty solutions for more complex construction projects.
“We can see that our brand is gaining traction. In the past, people found us through market searches for warranty providers. As our reputation and capability has grown in line with brand awareness, potential clients are now searching for ICW and seeking us out specifically” said Andrew Spratt, ICW’s Managing Director.
Andrew attributes the remarkable success to ICW’s extremely reliable, responsive, and robust approach, technical support and customer service. No one in the market has the customer service quality ICW does. Instead of simply attaching the cheapest warranty to a house to satisfy a lender, ICW works with clients who value how they deliver their services, ensuring high quality new homes and buildings, and the operation of their Consumer Code holds these clients to a high standard of service and finish.
“At ICW, we believe in a strong partnership with our clients. The UK construction industry is seeing a focus on building safety with stricter regulations for high-risk buildings and a push for collaboration between clients and contractors. As building standards evolve, we work hand-in-hand with clients to find a solution that works for everyone,” Andrew explained.
As a result, ICW has seen more repeat clients, more new customers who want to work with them, and ultimately, more opportunities.
“We care about the customer’s journey from their initial enquiry to the final issue of their certificate,” added Karen McDermott, ICW’s Group Marketing Manager. “Every step of the way, we support our clients so that they can achieve their aims.”
Since ICW’s inception, they’ve been focused on building their presence in the UK market. Fueled by business growth, and with the help of Accelerant’s underwriting and compliance team, ICW is setting its sights on new geographic markets for their solutions. Exploring potential new markets has demanded patience and flexibility, both from ICW and from Accelerant.
“We’re incredibly thankful for the support we’ve received from Accelerant, and we are excited to launch into new markets. It’s a new frontier for us, and with a proven, credible product, we’re already seeing strong interest from potential clients,” Andrew said.
“We have always had an ambitious yet achievable plan for our business, and over the last five years, we’ve worked towards it in a very measured way,” added Karen. “We find value in the synergy between our values and Accelerant’s – it enables us to move on opportunity and look to the future.”
“Back in 2020, ICW was the first Member I onboarded at Accelerant. Our values align perfectly—we are aggressively transparent in all our interactions, which helps support the attainment of our mutual goals,” explained William Coates, Member Relationship Director, Accelerant. “We are thrilled about ICW’s growth and look forward to continuing to help them thrive in the marketplace.”
Karen and Andrew shared three pieces of advice to other Members seeking to maximize both their growth and relationship with Accelerant:
- Be brave: Ask plenty of questions. When we propose an idea, Accelerant rarely says “no” off the bat. Rather, we examine the opportunity and problem-solve the related hurdles. Whether you are interested in a new product, new line of business, or new region, Accelerant’s support is always there.
- Find those who match your team’s energy. For us, that was Accelerant. And even though Accelerant is growing, we still feel that we have the same quality of engagement and partnership as the day we first joined.
- Make investments in your brand and marketing – for a new or smaller MGA, it’s a frightening prospect to make that kind of investment, but it pays off massively long-term and ICW have seen the benefit of having done so.