Nationwide’s Allied Insurance Looking for Agents in South and East

The independent agency arm of giant Nationwide Insurance is expanding and looking for agents in the East and South.

Allied Insurance now has more than 4,500 independent agency locations in the West and Midwest. It began writing personal and small to medium commercial lines this year in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

That brought the total number of states for Allied in 2005 to 32, according to Mike Palmer, communications director, for the Des Moines, Iowa-based insurer.

The expansion is scheduled to continue to 38 states in 2006 when Allied plans to also write business in Arkansas, New Hampshire, Maine, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Vermont.

“We will offer all lines–auto, home, business and farm–in all states, except Oklahoma, which will be commercial lines only at this time,” Palmer said.

Allied operates through independent agents and some exclusive agents. It maintains regional offices in Denver, Colo.; Des Moines, Iowa; Lincoln, Neb.; and Sacramento, Calif.

“We are actively recruiting agents in our new states,” Palmer said. He said Allied is looking for “strong agencies” that want to form a “profitable relationship.”

Allied has been a member of the Nationwide family of companies since 1998. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide is a Fortune 100 company and one of the country’s largest multi-insurers and financial services organizations. In 1998, Allied assumed responsibility for Nationwide’s independent agency system including Nationwide Insurance Company of America, formerly known as TIG/Countrywide, in Battle Creek, Mich. In 1999, CalFarm Insurance in Sacra-mento, joined the Nationwide system. These companies now operate as Allied Insurance.

Personal and commercial lines each account for about 50 percent of Allied’s more than $2.6 billion in premiums.

Most of Allied’s insurance is generated in 26 central and western states through a network of independent and exclusive agents, and with direct response marketing.

Companies marketing Allied property/casualty insurance include AMCO Insurance Company, Depositors Insurance Company, Allied Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Nationwide Insurance Company of America, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

Allied has programs for small- to medium-sized businesses including contractors, fast food restaurants, printers, churches, auto service businesses, and a new Business Owners Policy.

For commercial lines Allied also offers the support of Allied General Agency, which helps agents access to markets for special or hard-to-place risks and special events.

Agents may find out more about opportunities with the company on the Web site at www.alliedinsurance.com.