FM全球公司是世界上最大的工商業保險公司之一，FM全球公司通過其所屬的FM認證（FMApprovals）機構向全球的工業及商業產品提供檢測及認證服務。FM認證的證書在全球範圍內被普遍承認，而且FM全球公司的保險客戶也更傾向於使用通過了FM認證的產品，它向消費者表明該產品或服務已經通過美國和國際最高標準的檢測。FM認證機構也是歐洲以外唯一能夠直接對消防產品頒發CE標識的機構。
FM全球公司(FMglobal)
FM全球公司網站網址：http://www.fmglobal.com
FM全球公司FM全球公司簡介
FM全球公司是工商業保險公司，由此FM認證的經營理念也與眾不同，其結合了保險和工程技術服務，通過工程技術服務來提供資產防損的解決方案，也就是為什麼FM認證也同樣支持FM保險存在的價值理念。
FM始於1897年，其客戶覆蓋全球132個國家，全球總計有10多萬個保險項目。其在中國約有18年的歷史，主要服務於在中國投資的FM全球保險客戶。近幾年中國的消防行業發展迅速，FM中國消防廠商也是越來越多，於是FM成立了中國辦公室，以更好地服務於中國的FM生產廠商。
FM擁有：輕危險實驗室、水系統實驗室、大型火災實驗室、電器實驗室、研究實驗室、建築材料實驗室等多個專業的實驗室。FM所提供的檢測認證服務項目包括：產品認證、FM向防火器材、電子電器設備、危險場所設施、火場勘測、信號設備、建築材料等產品的生產商頒發認證證書；標準檢測：FM向生產商提供產品單一特性的標準檢測服務；ISO9000註冊：FM是ISO9000的註冊機構，可以為企業進行ISO9000體系審核。
FMGlobalisaU.S.-basedinsurancecompany,withofficesworldwide,thatspecializesinlosspreventionservicesprimarilytolargecorporationsthroughouttheworldintheHighlyProtectedRisk(HPR)propertyinsurancemarketsector.FMGlobalhasbeennamedthe"BestPropertyInsurerintheWorld”byEuromoneyMagazine
Thecompanyemploysanon-traditionalbusinessmodelconsistingof:
TheprovisionofonlyHPRpropertyinsurance,ratherthanprovidingothertypesofinsuranceorconsultingservicesindependently.
Theprovisionofserviceseitherdirectlytotheirclients,orthroughinsurancebrokers.
Mutualownership,allowingmanagementtotakealongtermapproachtostrategicplanning.Amutualcompanyisownedbythecompanieswhichareinsured.Thisformofprivateownershipbuffersmonetaryperformancefromshorttermimpacts(i.e.,unlikepubliclyownedcompanies,whichmayhavetoreactquicklytoquarterlyoryearlystocklosses).
Thebeliefthatallpropertylossescanbepreventedormitigated.Thisleadstolossresearchandadvicetoclientsemphasizingthechangestooperationsandfacilitiestomitigatetheeffectsofspecifichazards.FMGlobalencouragesclientstomakeimprovementstotheirpropertyorworkpracticesinanattempttoreducerisksandminimizefinancialimpacttothecustomerandinsurancecompanyifalossoccurs.Assuch,thegoaloftherelationshipbetweenFMGlobalandeachcompanythatisinsuredistoagreetolongtermriskswhicharecommensuratewithriskstakenbyothersimilarcompaniesinsuredbyFMGlobal.
History
Duringthedepressionof1835,ZachariahAllen,aprominenttextilemillowner,attemptedtoreducetheinsurancepremiumonhisRhodeIsland,USA,millbymakingpropertyimprovementsthathebelievedwouldminimizethedamageincaseoffire.Atthattime,insurancepremiumincreasesforlossesweresharedamongallinsureds,regardlessofindividuallosshistory.Theconceptoflosspreventionandcontrolwasvirtuallyunheardofatthetime.ToAllen,aproactiveapproachtopreventinglossesmadegoodeconomicsense.
Aftermakingconsiderableimprovementstohismill,Allenrequestedareductioninhispremium,butwasdenied.Hecalleduponotherlocaltextilemillownerswhosharedhislosspreventionphilosophytocreateamutualinsurancecompanythatwouldonlyinsurefactorieswithlowerrisks.Thisapproachshouldresultinfewerlossesandsmallerpremiumpayments.Whateverpremiumremainedattheendoftheyearwouldbereturnedtopolicyholdersintheformofdividends.Thegroupagreed,andbyyear'send,formedtheManufacturersMutualFireInsuranceCompany,theoldestpredecessorofFMGlobal.
Duringthecompany'sfirst14years,themillownersandmutualpolicyholdersofManufacturersMutualenjoyedanaverage50-percentreductioninpremiumcomparedwithwhatotherinsurancecompanieswerecharging.Thefirepreventionmethodstheydeveloped,monitoredbyregularfireinspectionsformillpolicyholders,resultedinfewerlosses.Despiteitsinitialsuccess,oneproblemremainedforthepioneermutualinsurancecompany:asinglemutualinsurancecompanycouldnotwithstandthefinancialcostofthelossofanentireplant.Moreinsurancecapacitywasneeded,soin1848,Allenformedanothermutualinsurancecompany,RhodeIslandMutual.
Expansion
In1850,BostonManufacturersMutualFireInsuranceCompany,thethird-oldestFMGlobalpredecessor,wascreatedwhenAllenconvincedaBostonmerchantwithsignificantcotton-millownershiptoformhisownmutualinsurancecompanywithlike-mindedBostonmillowners.Throughoutthenext20years,othermutualinsurancecompanieswereaddedtothegrouproster.Together,thesecompaniesandtheonesthatlaterevolvedsoonbecameknownastheAssociatedFactoryMutualFireInsuranceCompanies,ortheFactoryMutuals,forshort.
Lossinformationhelpedidentifyspecificindustryhazardsandwasusedindevelopinglosscontrolrecommendationsforpolicyholdersinsimilarindustries.SuchinformationwassharedamongalltheFactoryMutual(FM)insurancecompanies,andwasutilizedbytheinspectionteams.AstheFMcompaniesgrew,however,theinspectionworkloadbecamedifficulttomanage.By1878,theFMcompaniesformedadedicatedunittohandlethecollectiveinspectionactivitiesforalltheFMpolicyholders.Thisuniquegroupoflosscontrolspecialistsinitiallyprovidedonlyinspectionservices.Thegrouplaterbeganperformingappraisalsandadjustments,lossanalysisandresearchactivitiesassociatedwithpreventingfireandotherhazardsinordertobenefitthemutualinsurancecompanyownersandtheirpolicyholders.Today,alloftheseservicesremaincomponentstoFMGlobalintheformofengineeringandresearch.
TheFMcompanies'maininterestsinthelate1800sandearly1900sremainedfocusedonresearchinganddevelopingproductsortechniquesthatwouldhelpmitigatepropertyrisksandadvancetheeffortsofpropertyconservation.In1874,arevolutionaryformoflosscontrolenteredthelosspreventionscene:thefiresprinkler.WhiletheinventionwasdesignedandlaterperfectedbyentitiesoutsidetheFMrealm,FM'ssupportandpromotionoftheproductaidedinitseventualwidespreaduseandacceptance.
The20thCentury
Thebeginningofthe20thcenturybroughtsignificantchangetotheFMcompanies.WhereoncethemutualinsurancecompaniesfocusedprimarilyonthefamiliarbusinessoftextilesprimarilywithintheNortheastregionoftheUnitedStates,newcompaniesbegantoformthatsoughtbusinessbeyondthetraditionalgeographicalboundaries.Thesemutualsbeganbranchingoutintootherindustries,suchasshoeandrubbermanufacturers,foundriesandlight,gasandpowercompanies,whilestillmaintainingtheirpreferenceforlow-riskproperties.
Duringthenext75to80years,theneedformorecomprehensivepolicyholdercoveragegrew,forcingaseriesofconsolidationsamongtheFMcompanies.By1987,42separatemutualinsurancecompanieshadbecomethree:AllendaleMutualInsuranceCompany,Johnston,R.I.,USA;ArkwrightMutualInsuranceCompany,Waltham,Mass.,USA;andProtectionMutualInsuranceCompany,ParkRidge,Ill.,USA.Thethreeseparateorganizationsfounditdifficulttodelivercompetitivelypriced,value-addedengineeringservicesinamarketplacefullofincreasingcompetitionandademandformorechallengingpropertyprotectionprograms.Thethreecompaniesweresharingtheresourcesofaninspectiongroup,yetwerecompetingwithoneanotherforcustomers.Inordertoreducecompetitionandcosts,in1998theCEOsannouncedtheirintenttomergethethreecompaniestocreateFMGlobal.Themergerwascompletedin1999.
FMGlobalToday
FMGlobalisaninternationalpropertyinsuranceandlosspreventionengineeringcompanywithUS$4.3billionofin-forcepremium(FY2006),US$5.2billioninpolicyholders'surplus(FY2006),withclientsinmorethan100countries.
CurrentFMGlobalclientsdonotnecessarilyreceivelowerpremiumsuponcompletionoflosspreventionrecommendations.Althoughamutualcompany,FMGlobalchargessomeclientsthemarketdrivenrateresultingfromcompetitivepressurescomparabletoprivateinsurancecompanies.However,otherpositiveaspectsmayresultfromriskreduction,suchasbetterinsurancetermsforlimitsorcapacity,andavoidanceoflossofmarketshare,lossofworkforce,andreducedproductiondowntime.
FMGlobalResearch
FMGlobal’s1,600acre(648ha)ResearchCampus[3]inWestGlocester,R.I.,USA,conductstestinginfireandexplosionhazards,hazardsdetectionandprotectiontechnology,naturaldisasters(flooding,winddamage,etc.),electricalhazards,andautomaticsprinklerhydraulics.Thesetestsrangefromwitnessingthedifferenceinhowproductsburntohowconstructioncomponentsperforminhurricaneconditions.
FM全球公司產品認證範圍
產品認證範圍包括：
消防部門：自動噴淋系統、閥門和消防栓、管道和管道連線件、消防泵和控制器、水噴霧系統、滅火器、防回流裝置、可燃液體和可燃氣體防護設備。
建築材料部門：屋面系統、夾心板及三文治板/屋面板、潔淨室建築材料、冷卻塔及空氣處理設備、管道和風管、電線電纜、防火堵材、泄爆閥和泄爆牆、防火門和門框、阻燃液壓油。
電器部門：危險環境中使用的防爆電器、電伴熱系統、應急安全切斷閥門、燃氣燃油安全控制裝置、探測器和報警系統、電氣報警設備、功能性安全設備。
商家選擇FM認證，就等於進入了FM全球保險項目的市場，進入全球市場，同時使自己的產品有別於沒有經過認證的產品，即增加了產品的實力，又節省了進入市場的時間。FM認證為商家減少了認證成本，減少了內部成本，減少了審核次數，把審核結合起來（FMApprovals，CPD，ATEX，IECEx，ISO），容易修改產品設計；減少產品生產周期的成本。
