Car Insurance Group - Cox

After being listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1995, Cox Insurance holdings purchased the Christopherson Heath Group Ltd in 1996. Further acquisitions in the period 1997 to 2001 brought in several underwriting and broker businesses; East West, Shead, HML Marketing Ltd and Argent Ltd. (a chain of Midlands based high street brokers). During the same period Cox acquired brokersure.co.uk, a 40% holding in insurancewide.com, Crowe Motor Syndicate 963 and Anthony Kidd Agencies (specialising in travel and personal injury insurance), in order to further diversify its broking interests and increase its underwriting capability.

The planned contraction from the group's commercial lines division through 2000 and the final exit in 2002, following the Isolation Agreement with Lloyds, has resulted in a profitable and stable retail based insurance company capable of significant profitable growth in future years.

The group family includes a number of powerful brands such as Equity Red Star, Boncaster Ltd, Cox Claims Management Ltd, insure-shop and brokersure.co.uk.

Equity Red Star is one of the top ten car insurance companies in the UK. It is a Lloyd's syndicate which focuses on underwriting car and personal lines insurances through the broker market.

Through targeted growth and opportunistic acquisition the group has become the 8th largest car insurer in the UK, a leading broker and service provider and a market leader in terms of profitability.

Cox also maintains a diverse distribution network and a broad customer base. Selling car insurance direct, via intermediaries and through affinity groups, it targets individuals and companies utilising high-street shops, the telephone and the internet. It is also able to shift the balance between these methods to suit market conditions.

Please note, conditions will apply for all of the car insurance group products mentioned above, please contact the insurer concerned for more information.

Cox Insurance Group

Website Address www.cox.co.uk