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• AAA Insurance - The AAA-Chicago Motor Club was founded in 1906 The AAA-Chicago Motor Club will provide superior products and services, and public and government representation, while recognizing our members and clients as our greatest asset and developing our employees as our greatest resource. We exist for our members and clients and will be judged on how well we serve their needs.
• Badger Mutual - In 1871, the year of the great Chicago fire, many insurance companies were forced to close because of heavy losses. The companies that remained in business charged high rates and were very particular about the risks they accepted. Many of these companies refused to write insurance on churches with steeples because the steeples attracted lightning. The few companies that did write churches with steeples charged exorbitant rates. These restrictions and high rates prompted the formation or our company. In 1887, a group of Lutheran churchmen from Milwaukee decided to organize a mutual aid society to protect their churches and property against fire loss. On February 2, 1887, a committee was appointed to draft a constitution and bylaws. The first general meeting was held on March 13, 1887. One hundred and thirty-seven signed the constitution declaring themselves members of the society and elected John Schwartz as the company's first president.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois traces its roots to the depths of the Great Depression and a group of Chicago business leaders who witnessed how relatively minor illnesses that required a hospital stay were ruining families financially. In 1936, they pooled their own savings and launched a not-for-profit company called Hospital Service Corporation to offer an affordable pre-paid hospital plan, which was a new concept at that time. The Chicago Plan, as it was called, was one the forerunners of what we know as health insurance today
• Capitol Indemnity - Capitol Indemnity Corporation began operations in Madison, Wisconsin in 1959, as an all line Fidelity and Surety stock company. For the next two decades, the Company expanded both geographically and in their product offerings. By the end of 1979, the Company was doing business in over 20 states and had a gross premium volume of $9.4 million. The late 1970’s also produced a change in the way Capitol distributed their products, by forming business partnerships with General Agencies in addition to the existing Independent Agency Force which had been the foundation for Capitol’s original offerings. As the Company’s profitability grew, its thirtieth year ended with remarkable results posting a 63.7% combined ratio based on $25.3 million of gross premium. Over the next 13 years, Capitol continued to add more states, more products, as well as more premium to the company’s bottom line. In January of 2002, the Company was purchased by the Alleghany Corporation. Since this acquisition, Capitol continues to be a leader in the insurance industry. At the end of 2005, the Company had $171 million of gross premium with a combined ratio of 89.9%. We are looking forward to the future, confident we can meet the needs of our agency force by providing them with the tools they will need to be successful in this ever-changing insurance marketplace.
• Foremost / Bristol West - Bristol West began providing private passenger automobile insurance to Florida residents in 1973. Since that time, Bristol West has grown to be a leading provider of liability and physical damage insurance focusing exclusively on private passenger automobiles across the United States. Sold through agents and brokers, Bristol West insurance products provide customers the security of a comprehensive range of automobile insurance coverages at competitive prices. Bristol West philosophy stresses high quality and responsive services to customers through product innovation and a broad array of systems to support customers, agents and brokers alike. For customers, the addition of enhanced services such as online and electronic premium payment solutions as well as automated telephone support twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, serve a growing variety of customer needs and lifestyles. Bristol West low down payment options make it easy for customers to get the coverage they need. For agents and brokers, Bristol West’s ongoing investment in technology provides “leading edge” tools to manage their business, improve efficiencies and deliver service that is fast and accurate directly at the point of customer interaction. By continuously developing new and improved processes for agents and brokers; and maintaining unmatched service levels for customers, Bristol West is setting the new standard in automobile insurance.
• Hallmark Insurance Company - Hallmark Insurance Company, American Hallmark Insurance Company of Texas and Hallmark County Mutual comprise the personal lines business unit of Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. Our focus is to provide private passenger auto, multi-line property, light commercial, and motorcycle insurance through more than 3,500 agents nationwide. Hallmark agents and insured enjoy the security of knowing they are working with a company that carries an A- “Excellent” financial stability rating from A.M. Best.
• Magna Carta - Magna Carta Companies was founded in New York City in 1925 as a mutual insurance carrier for the taxicab industry. Throughout the decades, we have continuously expanded our product offering and underwriting territory. Today, Magna Carta specializes in underwriting the commercial real estate industry and we are one of the largest mutual carriers of commercial business in America. The group now consists of Public Service Mutual Insurance Company, Paramount Insurance Company, Western Select Insurance Company and Business Alliance Insurance Company. Magna Carta began as Public Service Mutual Casualty Insurance Corporation and the name was later shortened to PSM Insurance Companies. When we celebrated our 75-year anniversary in 2000, our group adopted the trade name of Magna Carta Companies.
• Markel Insurance - Success in specialty insurance is about knowing your markets. With 60+ years of experience in our niche markets, Markel Insurance Company develops and underwrites specialty insurance products to address the unique risks these organizations face. Our target markets include: •B&Bs and country inns •Children's camps, Boys & Girls Clubs, Scouts, YMCAs •Child care centers •Health, swim, and racquet clubs •Historic homes •Horse farms, riding and show animal clubs, dude ranches, guides and outfitters, private horse owner's liability •Human services and nonprofits •Gymnastics, dance, and martial arts schools •Museums and private libraries •Private schools •Student accident and health Markel Insurance Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Markel Corporation, a Virginia-based international specialty lines insurance company. Markel Insurance Company is admitted and licensed to underwrite property & casualty, accident & health, and equine insurance throughout the U.S.
• MetLife - For 140 years, MetLife has been insuring the lives of the people who depend on us. Our success is based on our long history of social responsibility, strong leadership, sound investments, and innovative products and services.
• Midwest Family Mutual - Our company was organized in 1891 as Minnesota Farmers Mutual Insurance for the purpose of writing crop and hail insurance for Minnesota farmers. In 1906, operations were broadened to include farm windstorm insurance. General fire and inland marine lines were added in 1929. Automobile and dwelling coverages were added in 1930. In the late 1970.s, the company expanded its product offerings to include homeowners and personal automobile coverages. To more accurately reflect the company.s broadened product lines and its lesser focus on the farm market, in 1983, the board of directors changed the name of the company to Midwest Family Mutual Insurance Company. In 1991, the company introduced its first commercial lines insurance products allowing the company to further broaden the products available to its independent agent sales force. In 1997, the company further diversified by adding the states of Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to the two existing states, Minnesota and Wisconsin
• Pekin Insurance - History History Told…In 1921 with one part-time secretary and 187 policies, Pekin Insurance made its modest entrance into the arena of the insurance industry. By 1939, the Company had 20,000 policies in effect, followed with 30,000 by 1945. Fire insurance was added to auto insurance as a new coverage line in 1952 and the Home Office had grown from a small, donated office space to a four-story building. Pekin Insurance Company was formed as a companion to the original Farmers Auto in 1961. General liability and workers compensation coverages were also added at that time. During the next four years, the Company continued to grow with the formation of “PAC,“ a premium finance company, and Pekin Life Insurance Company. As a result of this growth, the name “Pekin Insurance” was adopted to cover the entire range of Company activity. While the Company coverages expanded over the years, the office space for this growth also expanded. Today, the Home Office is located on a 30-acre site, containing 124,000 square feet of floor space. The Company that began serving one county in Illinois now serves five states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and boasts nearly 900,000 policyholders. The modest beginning as a small automobile insurance company to the present day group of Companies offering a broad portfolio of products designed to meet most insurance needs is a testimony to the strength, stability, and forward-looking philosophy represented by the name, Pekin Insurance. As we look toward the future and the inevitable changes it will bring, one thing remains the same for Pekin Insurance - the principle of protection and service to our policyholders.
• Safeco Insurance - In 1923, insurance executive Hawthorne K. Dent had a vision to pioneer a whole new approach to insurance. A New VisionDent's vision combined the financial stability of an investor-owned stock company with the preferred-risk underwriting and lower prices of a mutual or policy-owned company. Defying convention, and ignoring his doubtful peers, Dent started The General Insurance Company of America Corporation. Based in Seattle, far from the center of insurance activity in the Northeast, “The General,” as it was known, was at first dismissed. But in the coming years it would earn praise for its competitive prices and superb service. Safeco Enters the SceneIn 1953, the company began looking for new ways to compete with direct insurance writers. The answer was computer automation tools. These became the hallmark of the company’s new business: Selective Auto and Fire Insurance Company of America, or Safeco. Just a few years later, Safeco entered the life insurance business. By the late 1960s, it also offered mutual funds and commercial lines of credit. Because of its success, parent corporation General America Corporation was renamed Safeco Corporation. Moving Swiftly ForwardSafeco took a major step in 1997 by acquiring American States Financial Corporation. This doubled its agent force, increased its presence east of the Rockies, and became a leading writer of insurance for small- to mid-sized businesses. The company also took center stage nationwide in 1998, when it purchased the naming rights to the Seattle Mariners ballpark. With its classic brick and ironwork design, modern retractable roof, and state-of-the-art video board, Safeco Field combines the best of old and new, setting the standard for ballparks around the country. It is rated by both fans and players as one of the best stadiums in the game. The TurnaroundAfter a tough financial period in the late 1990s, which led to a $1 billion loss in 2001, Safeco turned itself around by focusing on the tenets first set out by founder H.K. Dent: competitive pricing, disciplined underwriting as well as automated technology tools. In 2002, the company earned profits of more than $300 million. In 2004, the company sold its life and investments operations, shifting the company's full attention to property and casualty insurance, as well as surety. Becoming IndispensableIn 2005, the company posted a record annual net income of $880 million. In 2007, the company delivered its second-best-ever annual net income, while also embarking on a journey to become the indispensable choice for customers, agents and shareholders. This push is built around two practices surprisingly uncommon in the insurance industry: customer focus and innovative thinking. Recent proof points include: The establishment of a new research and development unit, Open Seas. This unit is responsible for designing products and services that move beyond the traditional insurance marketplace like Teensurance™--a package of tools and technology for parents of teen drivers. Open Seas is testing several new products for introduction in 2008. The redesign of the company’s Claims and Customer Care operation, including the introduction pro-active calling to customers in disaster zones to make sure they’re safe and to begin the recovery process as quickly as possible. Establishment of the Safeco Insurance Foundation with a $90 million endowment, thereby ensuring the civic and community leadership the company has demonstrated during its 84 year history. The people of Safeco aspire to make the company an essential part of customers’and agents’ lives. By looking beyond the ordinary today, they will create a different kind of insurance experience for tomorrow. In September 2008, Safeco became part of Liberty Mutual Group. With the addition of Safeco, Liberty Mutual Group becomes the fifth largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S., with more than $32 billion in direct written premium based on 2007 results for both companies.
• The Hartford - The Hartford Financial Services Group Founded in 1810, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) is one of the largest insurance and investment companies based in the United States, with offices in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford is a leading provider of life insurance, group and employee benefits, automobile and homeowners insurance and business insurance - as well as investment products, annuities, mutual funds, and college savings plans. The Hartford serves millions of customers worldwide - including individuals, institutions, and businesses - through independent agents and brokers, financial institutions, and online. After nearly 200 years in business, The Hartford is known for its superior customer service and continued operational excellence.
• Travelers - In business for over 150 years, Travelers has been an industry leader from the start. We issued the first auto policy in 1897 and continue to lead the way with innovative insurance products, first class service and industry-leading technology. 1853 Alexander Wilkin and 16 fellow Saint Paul, MN businessmen found St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company. 1864 J.G. Batterson and nine others form The Travelers Insurance Company "for the purpose of insuring travelers against loss of life or personal injury while journeying by railway or steamboat." 1897 Issued the first automobile insurance policy. 1903 Opened the first school to train insurance agents. 1904 Organized the first corps of safety engineers. 1907 Organized to write property coverages. 1912 Offered first combination auto policy. 1936 Launched a drivers' education program. 1953 Developed the first automobile simulator for driver education purposes. 1956 Installed first computer, an IBM 650. 1956 First insurer to establish its own weather research center. 1966 Held first transcontinental conference call. 1968 Set up the first employee-staffed claim "hot lines." 1971 Established the first insurance office of consumer information to answer customers' questions about their policies. 1980 Developed the first interactive company/agency computer system. 1996 Developed the first automated fraud detection system as a potent new weapon in the battle against insurance fraud. 1997 Launched the first insurance policy to protect individuals using personal computers for online banking. 1997 After Hurricane Andrew, the company developed the industry's first catastrophe response vehicles, self-contained claim offices on wheels. 1998 - 2002 Over the last several years, Travelers leveraged technological advancements to improve Ease of doing business for agents. Industry leading innovations include: Real-time quoting capability enabling single-entry, multiple-carrier interface ATLAS3, a browser-based system allowing agents to quote and issue policies over the Internet TRAVGlass, the industry's first Internet-based auto glass claim solution 2003 Launched MyTravelers.com, allowing customers to pay their bill, check claim status, and view policy information online. 2004 The Saint Paul and Travelers Property Casualty merge to form St. Paul Travelers, creating a new company with 285 years combined experience in managing risk with integrity, innovation and discipline. 2007 Company consolidates under Travelers name and re-acquires famous red umbrella icon as its logo. Click here to view the print ads.
• Zurich - Zurich Financial Services (www.zurich.com) is an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network that focuses its activities on its key markets in North America and Europe. Founded in 1872, Zurich is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Through its offices in more than 50 countries, approximately 60,000 Zurich employees serve clients in more than 170 countries. In North America, Zurich (www.zurichna.com) is a leading commercial property-casualty insurance provider serving the global corporate, large corporate, middle market, small business (not offered in Canada), specialties and programs sectors. Behind this success is a culture of continuous improvement and a pride in excellence. It comes from 130 years of experience, taking care of the risk protection and wealth creation needs of individuals, businesses and corporations all over the world. With our global spread and cross-business connections, we can draw on the expertise of a worldwide network of Zurich professionals and business partners.

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