Smith Manus History

Smith Manus is one of the largest surety bond agencies in the U.S. We work with businesses in many different industries to develop the best and most creative ways to meet our clients’ surety bond needs.

Smith Manus provides bonds to four basic business segments:

Traditional: general contractors and corresponding sub-trades, heavy-highway, utility, etc.
Specialty: environmental remediation contractors, waste companies, mining operations, bonds required in the oil and gas industry, etc.
Development: guarantees which include subdivision bonds, similar completion guarantees, and a multitude of unique requirements facing this industry.
License, Permit & Miscellaneous: small compliance bonds required by state and local regulators.

Knowledge of the Bonding Industry:

Surety underwriting closely mirrors financial analysis and we believe specialized knowledge and expertise of the surety industry is not only required, but should be expected. With over 30 years dedicated to the surety industry, Smith Manus knows the type of business surety companies prefer. We understand these preferences may change and sometimes change quickly. Our goal is to manage this volatility by anticipating the future through a program that will adapt to our clients changing needs and/or change in the marketplace.

Supporting our clients is our primary concern. Though we do business with many Fortune 500 companies, we are proud of our entrepreneurial approach to developing surety programs for each of our clients. Smith Manus serves clients of all sizes from a variety of industries, but most importantly to the satisfaction of each business we bond. We strive to find the best solution for each scenario.

Our recent focus has been to concentrate on the specialty segment. We have demonstrated the ability to not only change the marketplace, but to create the marketplace. Our historic results and first-hand experience in these segments has put Smith Manus in a unique position to inform surety companies about new or different underwriting approaches to consider. This strategy has created capacity within the surety industry, and has attracted outside capital to support the surety requirements associated with these unique guarantees. This “Smith Manus” approach has driven the success of our clients and has laid the ground-work for success in the future.

Personal Service:

At Smith Manus, our belief is that by taking the time to understand each business we bond, we can better meet their needs. Smith Manus adds value through a high level of customer service and our commitment to work tirelessly to develop, and then maintain, a suitable bond program for our clients.

License and Permit Bonds