Elephant Auto to Add 1,173 Jobs in Va.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced that Elephant Auto Insurance, a subsidiary of U.K.-based Admiral Group plc, will invest $2 million to expand its U.S. headquarters operation in Henrico County, Virginia. The project will create 1,173 new jobs, which would nearly triple its current workforce in the Henrico region.

McAuliffe made the job-creation announcement on June 9 following a meeting with Admiral Group officials in Cardiff, Wales, during his 11-day European marketing mission in June that included stops in Italy, Germany, Sweden, France and Belgium.

While McAuliffe did not detail the type of jobs the investment will create, Elephant CEO Kevin Chidwick says the company’s workforce includes marketing and sales, call center operations and customer service.

Established in 2009, Elephant Auto’s U.S. operations in Henrico County currently has some 400 employees, according to media reports. Elephant Auto’s parent company Admiral operates a direct-to-consumer business model, serving customers via the phone and internet, and has over four million customers worldwide.