Connect (insurance company)

Connect (stylized as CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance) is an insurance company located in De Pere, Wisconsin.[3] Connect provides auto, home, condo, renters, umbrella (personal liability) and specialty products (through an in-house agency).[4] Insurance is underwritten by American Family Connect Property and Casualty Insurance Company (formerly IDS Property Casualty Insurance Company) and American Family Connect Insurance Company (formerly Ameriprise Insurance Company), each a wholly owned subsidiary of American Family Insurance Mutual Holding Company. They also partner with various specialty insurance providers to offer coverage for items such as watercraft, ATVs, recreational vehicles and motorcycles. Connect is an affinity marketer, relying almost entirely on strategic partnerships to reach customers. Partners include Costco Wholesale, and Ameriprise Financial.[5] In 2018, Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance generated more than $1.1 billion in annual written premium.[6]

CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance
TypePrivate
IndustryInsurance
FoundedGreen Bay, Wisconsin, United States (1986 (1986))
Headquarters
De Pere, Wisconsin
Number of locations
  • Three Locations
  • De Pere, Wisconsin
  • Phoenix, Arizona
  • Las Vegas, Nevada
Key people
Sharena Ali (President)[1]
ProductsAuto, Home and Condo, Renters, Umbrella and Specialty Insurance
Number of employees
1,000+ (2012)[2]
ParentAmerican Family Insurance
Websitewww.connectbyamfam.com

History

American Express Company acquired IDS in 1984 and renamed it American Express Financial Corporation. They acquired Wisconsin Employers Casualty Company of Green Bay in 1986, renamed it IDS Property Casualty Insurance Company, and relaunched it the following year with 25 employees. In 2019, Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance was acquired by American Family Insurance. In 2020, it was renamed CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance in 2020.

Timeline

1986 – American Express Financial Corporation acquired Wisconsin Employers Casualty Company of Green Bay and renamed it IDS Property Casualty Insurance Company.[7]

1987 – IDS Property Casualty Insurance Company begins selling auto, home and personal liability umbrella insurance in Wisconsin.[7]

1988 – The company expands its coverage area to include Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio.[7]

1999 – The company is actively selling insurance products in 35 states.

2000 – The company moves to a new headquarters in De Pere, Wisconsin.

2005 – Ameriprise Financial, Inc., becomes an independent, publicly owned company. IDS Property Casualty Insurance Company begins doing business as Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance. IDS Property Casualty Insurance Company remains the underwriting company, paired with the newly developed underwriting company Ameriprise Insurance Company. That same year, the company also opened its second office in Phoenix, Arizona. [7]

2012 – Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance opens a third location in Las Vegas, Nevada.

2019 – On October 1, 2019, American Family Insurance closed on the purchase of IDS Property Casualty Insurance Company from Ameriprise Financial.

2020 – CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance debuts. The company has more than 2,000 employees and offers insurance products in 43 states.

Awards and certifications
  • "A" (Excellent) Rating for Financial Strength, Stability and Soundness of Operating Performance - A.M. Best (the leading independent rater of insurers in the country)[8]
  • Consistently on the Ward Group's Ward's Top 50 list (top performing property and casualty companies)[9][10]

References
  1. "American Family's Stauffacher, Yancy, Others Assume Key Leadership Posts". Insurance Journal. April 1, 2021.
  2. "30 Largest Private Employers in the Green Bay Area" (PDF). Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 1, 2013.
  3. "CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance, is new name, brand of the former Ameriprise Auto & Home". www.businesswire.com. August 4, 2020.
  4. "CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance | Better Business Bureau® Profile". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  5. Haire, Thomas (1 March 2013). "Cover Story: Doing Direct Differently". Response Magazine. Archived from the original on 2013-03-23. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  6. "American Family Insurance Closes Acquisition of Wisconsin's Ameriprise Auto & Home". October 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-10-02.
  7. Lipartito, Kenneth, and Carol Heher. Peters. Investing for Middle America: John Elliott Tappan and the Origins of American Express Financial Advisors. New York: Palgrave, 2001.
  8. "Best's Credit Ratings". Archived from the original on September 1, 2013..
  9. "Ward's 50 Property-Casualty Companies".
  10. "TOP 50 Property and Casualty Insurance Companies in U.S."
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