2/27/2009 - Tower Group, Inc. (“Tower”; NASDAQ: TWGP) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of HIG, Inc. (“Hermitage”), a specialty property and casualty insurance holding company, from a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. for $130 million. This transaction was previously announced on August 27, 2008. Michael Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tower, stated, “We are pleased to complete the acquisition of Hermitage to further expand our existing network of wholesale agents nationally as well as establish a network of retail agents in the Southeast region. We look forward to working with Hermitage employees to leverage Tower’s broad product offering, strong capitalization and business model in support of Hermitage’s producers and customers.” Through its insurance subsidiaries, Hermitage Insurance Company and Kodiak Insurance Company, Hermitage offers products both on an admitted and a non-admitted basis to commercial customers throughout the United States. The company produced $107 million in gross premiums written during 2008 through its distribution network of approximately 150 retail agents in the Southeast and key wholesale relationships throughout the East Coast. Hermitage writes business in 29 states and the District of Columbia on a non-admitted basis and in 14 states on an admitted basis.