Zurich Marks 100th Anniversary

By Staff Writer February 07, 2022

Launched in Kansas City as Universal Underwriters in 1922, Zurich North America began by providing fire insurance to 85 auto dealers. Marking 100 years serving auto dealerships across the United States, Zurich has kicked off a multifaceted celebration that looks back on a century’s worth of milestones with a keen eye focused on the future.

Universal Underwriters was acquired by Zurich in 1981 and today Zurich  is one of the nation’s leading providers of Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance and Finance and Insurance (F&I) solutions for auto dealers.

“It is exciting to think about how much automotive history we as a company have witnessed firsthand,” said Vince Santivasi, head of direct markets. “As the auto industry has evolved, so too have the needs of auto dealerships. We have developed new and innovative products and services over the past 100 years and are proud to have been — and continue to be — evolving along with our auto dealer customers as new needs emerge.”

In 1968, Zurich became the first insurance company to introduce a single package policy offering monthly premium billing for automobile dealerships. In 1984, the F&I offering was expanded to include vehicle service contracts and income development services for auto dealers; and in 2021 – a sign of the times – Zurich launched a suite of vehicle protection products for electric vehicles.

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Last modified on Monday, 07 February 2022 13:55