Equity Insurance Group

Infobox Company
company_
company_name = Equity Insurance Group
company_type = LTD
foundation = 1946
location = Brentwood, Essex, England
key_people = Neil Utley, CEO
industry = Commercial Insurance
homepage for on-line transactional system = [http://www.insure.co.uk/ www.insure.co.uk]
footnotes =

Equity Insurance Group is a UK personal lines and commercial insurer. It comprises two specialist divisions: Equity Red Star, its underwriting arm and Equity Insurance Brokers, its broking business.

Equity Insurance Brokers operates through 70+ high street branches throughout England and Northern Ireland; customer contact centres and affinity partnerships. Affinity partners include First Direct, Ryanair, Renault UK, Harley-Davidson, Alliance & Leicester, Chevrolet and Skipton Building Society.

Equity Red Star, the group’s Lloyds of London underwriting arm, has been providing insurance products since 1946. It provides private car, classic car, van, motorcycle, taxi, minibus, fleet, haulage, agricultural vehicle, motor breakdown, household and personal accident cover.

Equity Insurance Group was acquired in 2005 by a consortium combining its management team – led by CEO, Neil Utley - backed by investors Englefield and Duke Street Capital. It is headquartered at Brentwood, Essex. Further facilities are located in Southampton, Colchester and Swansea.

However, recently, Equity made several hundred people redundant closing a call centre down in Bradford.

On 4 December 2006, Australian insurer Insurance Australia Group announced that it would acquire Equity Insurance Group for £570 million. The acquisition was completed on 8 January 2007 and Neil Utley, CEO, joined the executive team of IAG.

insure.co.uk

insure.co.uk is an on-line personal lines insurance quotation and transactional system operated by Equity Insurance Group.

Launched in 1999, it provides a range of insurance products including motor, household, motorcycle, pet and travel cover via the internet and by telephone.

Insurance purchased through www.insure.co.uk is administered by Equity Insurance Brokers Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA)

insure.co.uk is based in Colchester, Essex.

External links

* [http://www.insure.co.uk Insure.co.uk]
* http://www.equitygroup.co.uk/equitygroup
* Lloyds information on the history of Equity Insurance [http://www.greenwichgroup.co.uk/pages/news/manag/coxsm.htm]
* [http://www.iag.com.au Insurance Australia Group]