Business Moves

USAA

USAA has broken ground on a 420,000-square-foot Tampa, Fla., headquarters that officials say will bring 1,200 new jobs to the area. So far, the company has hired 130 new employees, with the others to be added by 2019.

The new building is scheduled for completion in 2015.

Abra, Collision Centers of America

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a national damaged vehicle repair company, purchased all 24 Collision Centers of America repair centers in Chicago, Ill., the surrounding communities and Northwest Indiana. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The purchase boosts its nationwide portfolio to 218 collision repair centers in 17 states.

ABRA plans to continue expanding in the months and years ahead as part of its aggressive national growth strategy.

Patriot Underwriters, Scottsdale

Patriot Underwriters Inc., a workers’ compensation insurance provider headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., announced its partnership with Scottsdale Insurance Co.

Scottsdale is owned by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

Under its agreement with Scottsdale, Patriot will serve as a program administrator with defined underwriting and claims responsibility. The program, which focuses on select classes of risk, will be rolled out around the nation.

Patriot Underwriters produces, underwrites and administers alternative market and traditional workers’ compensation insurance plans for insurance companies, segregated cell captives and reinsurers.

Xerox, ISG Holdings

Conn.-based Xerox announced a definitive agreement to acquire ISG Holdings Inc. for $225 million, creating a comprehensive workers’ compensation suite of offerings for clients in the property/casualty insurance industry.

Xerox will add the following ISG subsidiaries and their offerings to its portfolio:

• StrataCare, based in Irvine, Calif., provides comprehensive web-based medical bill review software, workflow and outsourcing solutions.
• Bunch CareSolutions, based in Lakeland, Fla., provides medical management solutions with real-time integration between medical bill review and nurse case management.

Once the acquisition is complete, the brands will go to market as StrataCare, A Xerox Company and Bunch CareSolutions, A Xerox Company.

CoreLogic

CoreLogic, a global property information, analytics and data-enabled services provider, launched the CoreLogic Flash Flood Risk Score, a new data analytics tool designed to inform insurers of the overall projection of flash flood risk beyond established Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplains.

CoreLogic Flash Flood Risk Score uses a combination of hydrology, meteorological and environmental datasets to provide both a numeric risk score (1-100) and a categorical risk rating (ranging from Very Low to Extreme) that enables underwriters to set guidelines for flash flood risk and evaluate portfolio risk exposure. Proprietary data layers are used to identify risk associated with intense rainfall, soil types, ground elevation and flow accumulations.

Flash flooding accounts for 33 percent of inland flood property damages in the United States, totaling $7.9 billion between 2005-2012, according to the National Weather Service and the National Climatic Data Center.

The Flash Flood Risk Score is the latest addition to the company’s flood risk tools, which includes Digital FEMA flood maps, Coastal Storm Surge, Flood Risk Score, and Combined Sewer Area.

Geico

Geico plans to hire 350 additional workers at its regional office in Stafford County, Va., by the end of the year.

Geico officials announced the expansion during a celebration of the insurance company’s 20th year in Stafford. The office opened in 1994 with 700 associates and now employs more than 3,500 workers.

Geico is Stafford County’s largest private employer.

VRS VeriClaim, Ellis May

T&H Global Holdings, a provider of specialized insurance claims services to insurance carriers, insurance brokers, corporations and public entities, announced that its VRS VeriClaim UK Ltd. subsidiary acquired Ellis May Chartered Loss Adjusters, a provider of high net worth and commercial loss adjusting and claims handling services to the property/casualty insurance market.

Established in 1995, Ellis May has 39 employees operating from offices in London (Uxbridge), Leeds and Birmingham.

Following the acquisition, the Ellis May business will operate as the VRS VeriClaim Private Clients Division doing business as Ellis May. Clive Ellis will become the managing director of the new division.