Forestry Mutual Insurance Company is revising its workers’ compensation minimum premiums across several states in a coordinated push to broaden its book of business.

Minimum premiums are being reduced to $500 across several states, effective September 15, 2025, in North Carolina (down from $1,000), September 17 in Tennessee (from $2,500), October 1 in Mississippi (from $2,500), October 20 in Georgia (from $1,200, impacting just 11 of 174 policies and under 0.5% of premium), and November 1 in Virginia.

The revisions reflect a strategy to expand beyond Forestry Mutual’s traditional high-premium accounts and open its workers’ compensation program to smaller businesses.

Regulators in each state have acknowledged or approved the changes, and while the premium impact is modest, the signal is clear: Forestry Mutual is repositioning to compete more broadly across its six-state footprint (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi).

Founded in 1971 as the North Carolina Forestry Association Mutual Insurance Company, Forestry Mutual became its current entity in 2000 following incorporation and a merger with the NC Forestry Association Self Insurers Fund. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, it operates as a policyholder-owned mutual dedicated to the wood products sector. Its specialization in workers’ compensation insurance for loggers, sawmills, and paper operations is paired with extensive loss control and safety training programs.

Most recently, in August 2025, Forestry Mutual sold its in-house agency, FMIC Agency Inc., also known as United Risk Advisors, to Joiner Insurance Agency. The transaction marked the company’s transition to an independent agent-only distribution model, intended to expand reach and strengthen service.