Industrial and materials industry facing risks on global scale, says Aon

^{Published on 2012-04-18 08:50:23 - Market Wire}
 

Industrial and materials industry facing risks on global scale, says Aon -- PHILADELPHIA, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

[ ]

My news for Investors

AtLeast one of the check box should be selected You are following news about Follow the latest news about AON

[ ]

[ Download image ]

PHILADELPHIA, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The struggling global economy and recent catastrophes, including the [ Thailand floods ] and [ Japan earthquake ] and [ tsunami ], have forced the global industrial and materials industry to change the way it views and prioritizes resources for risk response, according to the [ 2012 Industrial and Materials Industry Report ] released at the [ Risk and Insurance Management Society's ] annual conference and exhibition by [ Aon Risk Solutions ], the global [ risk management ] business of [ Aon ] plc (NYSE: AON).

(Logo: [ http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100719/AQ37264LOGO ])

As the findings of Aon's 2011 [ Aon Global Risk Management Survey ] support, the three largest risks faced by companies in the global industrial and materials industry today are economic turmoil, commodity pricing fluctuations and [ business interruption ], which includes [ supply chain ] disruption.

A slow recovery in the U.S., prolonged economic stability issues in the European Union and a slowing market in China make it difficult to forecast demand. With raw materials and energy making significant contributions to the cost of goods sold, concerns over commodity price volatility - which affects cost structure, budget, inventory and production - loom large. With growing complexity of global supply chains and rapid developments in technology, the range of risk issues is widening for organizations. This challenge is magnified as the trend to outsource component parts and offshore production becomes more prevalent.

"The natural disasters in Japan and Thailand during 2011 caused widespread supply chain and business interruption failures for the automotive and other industrial manufacturing sectors. These events served as a wake-up call for all organizations to more carefully evaluate the interdependencies of their global operations," said [ Mike Stankard ], managing director of the Automotive Practice and Industrial and Materials Practice for Aon Risk Solutions. "It is more important than ever for organizations to embrace an enterprise-wide approach to managing risk and optimize that strategy on a global basis."

Key findings shared in the Aon Risk Solutions 2012 Industrial and Materials Industry Report:

• Risk financing: While insurance for the industrial and materials industry remains competitive in terms of coverage provided and enhancements available, Aon clients are looking for further efficiencies in their approach to risk financing through the use of captive insurance companies.
• Property terms and conditions: Aon expects carriers will be more cautious and conservative with flood and contingent business interruption coverage in 2012.
• Umbrella/excess liability limits: Aon is seeing an average limit of $150 million purchased by clients - evidence of a continued concern around product liability and automobile liability litigation.
• Directors' and officers' liability limits: Aon is seeing an average limit of $77 million purchased by publicly traded company clients in the S&P Industrials and Materials sectors.
• Aon Global Risk Management Survey Results: When industrial and materials organizations with operations in more than one country were asked how they purchase/control their insurance programs, 61 percent of respondents indicated their corporate headquarters control procurement of all of their global and local insurance programs.

The global industrial and materials industry consists of manufacturers in several sub-industries, including automotive, metals, construction and agricultural equipment, building materials, industrial machinery and defense contractors.

Download the Aon Risk Solutions 2012 Industrial and Materials Industry Report:[ http://Ez.com/Materials ]

Follow Aon on Twitter: [ http://www.twitter.com/aoncorp ]
Sign up for News Alerts: [ http://aon.mediaroom.com/ ]

About Aon
[ Aon ] plc (NYSE: [ AON ]) is the leading global provider of [ risk management ], [ insurance ] and [ reinsurance ] brokerage, and [ human resources ] solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 61,000 colleagues worldwide, [ Aon ] unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via [ innovative ] and effective [ risk ] and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world's best [ broker ], best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best [ employee benefits ] consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit [ www.aon.com ] for more information on Aon and [ www.aon.com/manchesterunited ] to learn about Aon's global partnership and shirt sponsorship with [ Manchester United ].

SOURCE Aon plc

RELATED LINKS
[ http://www.aon.com ]