ING Canada announced Wednesday that it has merged ING Western Union into ING Insurance Company of Canada, creating one national entity for the distribution of casualty and property insurance products through independent insurance brokers across Canada.

According to ING Canada, the merger is part of a strategy aimed at creating a global and powerful financial services brand. “As ING is expanding its product offering in Canada to include more financial products, it becomes important that consumers across the country easily recognize the ING name and what it stands for,” said Claude Dussault, president and CEO of ING Canada.

“Regrouping a number of our operating companies under the same brand will allow us to increase the awareness of ING as a financial services provider.”

The merger of ING Western Union with ING Insurance is the latest step in a process started in 2002 when a number of ING insurance companies were merged.

ING is currently Canada’s largest property and casualty insurance group. One of the keys to ING’s success in Alberta and British Columbia has been the strong relationships that ING has established over the years with the brokers of these two provinces, explained Jetse de Vries, President of ING Canada Western Region.

“By merging our operating companies and offering our network of independent brokers the benefits of a powerful brand, we are strengthening their ability to develop their market presence,” said de Vries.