Liberty Mutual Dropping 8 Regional Brands

Liberty Mutual Insurance announced earlier this month it is planning to retire its regional brands in 2013 to focus on the more recognizable Liberty Mutual brand.

“We’re retiring the brand names of our eight commercial lines regional companies that sell exclusively through independent agents so we can use the Liberty Mutual Insurance brand name in all markets,” Liberty Mutual spokesperson Chris Goetcheus told Insurance Journal. “The decision was influenced by our agents’ desire to align their businesses with the stronger, more recognizable Liberty Mutual brand,” he said. “We’ve previously communicated this directly to our agency partners.”

The retiring brands are as follows:

• America First Insurance (Southwest Region) operates in 6 states
• Colorado Casualty (Mountain Region) operates in 6 states
• Golden Eagle Insurance (Pacific Region) operates in California
• Indiana Insurance (Midwest Region) operates in 9 states
• Liberty Northwest (Northwest Region) operates in 5 states
• Montgomery Insurance (Southeast Region) operates in 7 states
• Ohio Casualty (Mid-Atlantic Region) operates in 7 states
• Peerless Insurance (Northeast Region) operates in 8 states

Spokesperson Goetcheus said each of the eight regions continues to have local presence and decision-making authority. Each has a president and several regional vice presidents, along with a full field complement of underwriting teams and territory managers. He said each operation is business as usual, operating from the same regional home offices and regional offices.

Safeco Insurance, a Liberty Mutual company, will continue to offer personal lines products under its own brand through independent agents in 49 states and eight geographic regions throughout the U.S.