The company was founded on December 14, 1920 as the Chicago Ice Producers Mutual Liability Company. Organized as a class mutual insurance company, its initial purpose was to insure the company members of the Chicago District Ice Association for general liability, workers compensation, teams public liability for horses and wagons, and commercial vehicle insurance. Association members donated the $26,225 which was needed at that time to start insurance operations. The company was also granted licenses to operate in the States of Indiana and Wisconsin which continue to be held today. In the 1930’s, the company slowly expanded into insuring the private passenger vehicles owned by the owners and employees of the ice companies and which was later extended to individuals referred by policyholders of the company. The company’s name changed to Chicago Mutual Liability Company in 1961. During the 70’s and 80’s, the company evolved from being primarily a commercial lines insurer to becoming a personal auto insurer. At the end of 1994, the Board of Directors decided to exit the work compensation and general Liability lines entirely and concentrate on the personal and commercial auto lines of business.

The company was a latecomer into the world of technology. Members of the staff performed every task manually until the first system was purchased in 1991. The purchase of the automation system was congruent with the Board’s decision to change the company’s distribution system from being a direct writer to partnering with independent agencies. The company had maximized its growth as a direct writer and needed to adopt a different strategy to survive into the 21st century.

The company’s name changed again in 1996 to Chicago Mutual Insurance Company. That name remained until the company underwent a conversion from a mutual form of governance to a stock company in March 2006 when it became First Chicago Insurance Company, a subsidiary of J & P Holdings, Inc. Since joining the J & P Holdings organization, the company has added a non-standard personal auto program, a niche commercial auto program, and an Artisan Liability program to supplement its preferred risk personal auto and commercial auto programs. Management continues to search for marketing opportunities that will contribute to the growth and profitability of the company and the organization.

Over the course of the company’s history, only four persons have served as President of the Company: Joseph Moudry from 1920 until 1965; Herbert Choice from 1965 until 1977: Thomas Dockery from 1977 until 1989; and John Gettemans from 1989 until the present.