Business Moves
KKR, Sedgwick
Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc., a provider of claims and productivity management technology and services, said global investment firm KKR, together with Sedgwick’s management team, agreed to acquire majority ownership of Sedgwick for approximately $2.4 billion from its current group of investors. The current investors include Hellman & Friedman LLC and Stone Point Capital LLC. On an annual basis, Sedgwick handles more than 2.1 million claims and has fiduciary responsibility for claim payments totaling more than $11 billion. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2014, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.
Verisk, EagleView
Verisk Analytics Inc., a supplier of data to insurers and banks, agreed to buy EagleView Technology Corp. for $650 million in cash, adding an image library that encompasses about 90 percent of U.S. structures. The deal will allow Verisk to bolster its underwriting software and expand offerings to insurance and government customers, according to a statement.
The insurance and construction industries use EagleView’s technology and methods to obtain detailed roof and wall measurements from aerial imagery. The image library covers more than 1 million square miles. The parent company of Pictometry International Corp. and Eagle View Technologies Inc. has offices in Rochester, New York, and Bothell, Washington.
Caliber Collision
Caliber Collision Centers, an operator of collision repair facilities, acquired B&G Collision in Temple, Texas. The new 20,000 square foot center is the company’s 59th location in Texas. In a separate announcement, Caliber Collision Centers acquired A&R Auto Body and reopened the 8,200 square foot location as Caliber’s newest center in San Clemente, Calif.
SNL, iPartners
SNL Insurance acquired iPartners LLC, a SaaS provider of business intelligence reporting for property/casualty and life insurance companies for over 15 years. SNL Insurance client insurers will now have access to an internal reporting tool to help them collect, analyze and use internal data to grow operations and maximize efficiency. SNL Insurance clients will have the option to add the iPartners reporting solution to their current subscription at a preferred rate.
CCC, Auto Injury Solutions
CCC Information Services Inc. (CCC) acquired Auto Injury Solutions, Inc., formerly a division of Concentra Inc., a division of Humana Inc.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Crane Engineering, Safety Engineering Associates
Crane Engineering, a Midwest-based forensic engineering firm, has completed the acquisition of Safety Engineering Associates, a vehicle testing and accident reconstruction firm. Safety Engineering Associates’ clients will have access to Crane Engineering’s complete chemical, materials, metallurgical and micro-imaging laboratories, including its in-house 3D Laser scanner and Computed Tomography (CT) resources. Safety Engineering Associates will keep its external brand, Madison, Wis. office location.
GC3
Des Moines-based Guide One Taylor Ball and TC3, a claims construction and consulting company specializing in the reconstruction of churches, schools, senior living centers, institutions and businesses, is changing its name to GC3. GC3 said it will continue to be positioned as a product under the GuideOne portfolio, while also standing as an independent company outside of GuideOne. The shift to the new name, including rebranding of services and changes to marketing materials, has already begun.
Geico
Geico said it plans to hire more than 475 new associates in 2014 in its regional office in Tucson.
The Tucson office, which already employs more than 1,350 associates, is recruiting candidates for entry-level sales, customer service and claims customer service positions. The company is also hiring college graduates for liability claims customer service positions as well as for its management development program. The office opened for business in 2003 with fewer than 50 associates. Geico is also looking to hire auto damage adjusters and MDP candidates in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Portland and Seattle.
Lloyd’s
Lloyd’s launched its new shared service, Volume Claims Service (VCS), which it said is part of its Claims Transformation Program, for fast and fair handling of non-complex claims. VCS is designed to handle high volume, low value claims which make up around 85 percent of total claims in the Lloyd’s market. The service is provided by two competing third party service providers – Xchanging and Crawford & Co.