Century Insurance Group is a specialty insurer that underwrites excess and surplus lines coverage for hard-to-place risks. The company is based in Westerville, Ohio. It operates as a division of AF Group, a Michigan-based holding company with several specialty insurance brands.

Website: centurysurety.com

Head office address: 550 Polaris Parkway, Suite 300, Westerville, Ohio 43082

Founded: 1978

Company type: specialty insurance division of AF Group

Parent: AF Group

Regions served: nationwide, through appointed general agents and brokers

History of Century Insurance Group

Century Insurance’s origins go back to 1978, when it was formed to write coal mine reclamation bonds. That narrow specialty set the pattern for the underwriting it still does today. The insurer broadened into excess and surplus lines work in 1984.

Ownership changed hands twice in the years that followed.

• 1978: the company is founded to write coal mine reclamation bonds
• 1984: it begins writing excess and surplus lines insurance
• 2004: the insurer completes an IPO and establishes its Garage and Programs units
• 2006: Century launches Century Online, an early agent portal for quoting and binding policies
• 2008: AmeriTrust Group, then known as Meadowbrook Insurance Group, acquires the company
• 2022: AF Group acquires Century Insurance Group through its Accident Fund Insurance Company of America subsidiary

The 2022 deal placed the insurer inside AF Group’s specialty lineup, alongside brands such as AmeriTrust and AF Specialty. That ownership structure still shapes how Century runs today.

What does Century Insurance underwrite?

The company underwrites excess and surplus lines products for risks that fall outside standard-market guidelines. Its main coverage lines include:

• general liability, its largest line of business, spanning a broad set of classes
• commercial property, an excess and surplus lines specialty since the mid-1980s
• inland marine protection, covering risks such as bailee exposures and warehouse liability
• garage and auto dealer coverage, reserved for agents with dedicated underwriting authority
• environmental insurance aimed at contractors and environmental consultants
• ocean marine coverage sized for smaller and mid-market accounts
• surety bonds under Century Insurance Group’s Star Surety brand, spanning license, court, and public-official bonds among other categories

Technology has been part of Century Insurance Group’s playbook since 2002, when it introduced an in-house policy system. The company says that early investment placed it among the earlier movers in online quoting and binding. Many excess and surplus carriers didn’t offer those tools until years later.

Position in the market

Century Insurance works exclusively through general agents and brokers rather than selling directly to businesses. Most of its agency relationships have lasted more than a decade. The insurer credits that to steady underwriting and reliable claims handling.

The holding company also owns workers’ compensation-focused brands such as Accident Fund and CompWest. That scale gives Century access to more capital and reinsurance support than a standalone specialty carrier would have. The insurer still concentrates on the smaller commercial accounts that standard-market carriers turn down.

Curious what’s new with the insurer? Check the news section below for recent updates.