ABI Insurance Agency

Erie Insurance was established by two forward-thinkers with a vision of an insurance company that would be like no other. One that put customer service above everything. The story of ERIE's vision is shared here. From modest beginnings in 1925, ERIE has become a FORTUNE(r), 500 company with more than 6,000 employees and six million policies. H.O. Hirt, with O.G. Crawford and a plan on a 10-cent tablet (equivalent to a business prospectus today), needed funds. A $31,000 raise took 3 months and 20 days. Over 90 stockholders were won with the business plan and the team's tenacity. The Erie Insurance Exchange was launched on April 20, 1925. H.O.'s Dodge touring car was used to write some of ERIE's first policies. ERIE being Above all in SEvIcE, the company adopted "The ERIE Is Above All in SERvIcE" as its motto, with "erie" mimicking the word service. This is ERIE's tagline today. If a policyholder was having trouble with a claim, they were encouraged to call H.O. directly from their home. Hirt. ERIE was already growing after three years. In 1928, ERIE opened a second branch in Pittsburgh. In 1953, a branch was opened in Silver Spring, Maryland, the company's first outside Pennsylvania. ERIE expanded its territory and improved its product range. In 1934, ERIE introduced the "Super Standard Auto Policy," which included many industry-standard features. In 2004, inland marine insurance and fire insurance were introduced.