Our History
A Tradition of Safety
For more than 100 years, AF Group has been an insurance industry leader. Through our brands, we proudly carry a tradition of achieving the best outcomes for our customers and excellent value for our agents.
We invite you to learn more about how our history has shaped this success.
1912
Public Act 10 allows for the creation of a state accident fund in the Treasury (under the supervision of the Commissioner of Insurance) to provide stable sources of insurance coverage while instilling confidence in employers. Michigan becomes the second state to adopt the state fund approach at that time.
1921
Control of Accident Fund is transferred to the State Administration Board.
1937
Michigan’s first Civil Service Act is passed. The attorney general issues an opinion stating that Accident Fund employees are state employees and subject to civil service jurisdiction.
1945
Attorney General John R. Dethmers holds that Accident Fund is not a state agency, its employees are not state employees, and its assets and liabilities are not the responsibility of the state.
1976
Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley rules that the Michigan State Accident Fund is a state agency and its employees are within the classified state civil service.
1980s
In 1987, Accident Fund constructs a new 10-story corporate headquarters building adjacent to the 232 S. Capitol Avenue office it acquired in 1950. The two are connected by a five-story glass atrium. In 1988, the State Court of Appeals rules that the Accident Fund is, in fact, a state agency.
1990
State assumes management control of Accident Fund and classifies its employees in the civil service system. Accident Fund becomes an agency of the Department of Commerce.
1993
Gov. John Engler signs legislation authorizing the privatization of Accident Fund. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan bids $291 million and wins the right to buy.
1994
Supreme Court affirms Michigan’s right to the proceeds of the sale, and it’s finalized just two days before the Dec. 31 deadline.
1995
The new Accident Fund Company, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, begins operations. This same year, the first contract between the company and the United Auto Workers is negotiated and signed.
1996
Accident Fund Company earns its first “A-“ (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best.
1999
Accident Fund pays Blue Cross its first dividend of $100 million and earns a full “A” (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best.
2002
Accident Fund Company becomes Accident Fund Insurance Company of America.
2005
Elizabeth R. Haar is named president and CEO of Accident Fund.
2005
Accident Fund purchases Wisconsin-based monoline workers’ compensation insurer United Heartland.
2007
Accident Fund signs agreement to purchase California-based monoline workers’ compensation insurer CompWest Insurance.
2008
Accident Fund Holdings, Inc. is established, with Elizabeth R. Haar as president and CEO. Mike Britt is named president of Accident Fund Companies.
2010
Steve Cooper is named president of United Heartland.
2010
Accident Fund, United Heartland, and CompWest are named as “Best Place to Work in Insurance” by Business Insurance magazine. Our companies have continually ranked high on this list every year since first being named.
2010
Third Coast Underwriters (3CU) brand was established to offer workers’ compensation insurance to underserved markets.
2010
Accident Fund Holdings develops Medical Center of Excellence team and launches Care Analytics®, an innovative program that helps to identify local physicians who understand work-related injuries and who provide superior care to get injured employees back to work.
2011
Accident Fund licensed to write workers’ compensation insurance in all 50 states.
2011
Accident Fund moves its national headquarters to historic Ottawa Street Power Station in Lansing.
2011
Bryan Bogardus named president of CompWest Insurance.
2012
Accident Fund celebrates its 100th year in business.
2012
Accident Fund Holdings continues to prove itself as a leader on issues impacting the workers’ compensation industry following the August 10 publication of a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM), co-authored with experts from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, which finds that the use of opioid medications, particularly long-acting opioid medications, is an independent risk factor for the development of catastrophic claims.
2012
Accident Fund Holdings creates Certified Authority on Workers’ Compensation in partnership with Olivet College.
2013
Accident Fund Holdings experts testify before Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel about workers’ compensation opioid research featured in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
2013
Accident Fund Holdings is granted first official U.S. patent, which protects our intellectual property for evaluating provider performance to optimize medical outcomes on claims (Care Analytics®).
2013
Accident Fund launches AFXpress in South Carolina.
2014
Accident Fund Holdings, in partnership with researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, published a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that linked physician dispensing of narcotics to poor outcomes in workers’ compensation claims.
2014
Accident Fund Holdings launches Risk Management Services, which provides loss-sensitive solutions for workers’ compensation customers.
2015
Accident Fund Holdings becomes a $1 billion company.
2016
Accident Fund Holdings becomes AF Group, preparing for continued growth and diversification.
2016
Lisa Corless named president.
2016
Bryan Bogardus named executive vice president and chief operating officer.
2017
AF Group launches AF Specialty, a new brand focused on providing captive solutions.
2017
Al Gileczek named president of Accident Fund and CompWest.
2018
AF Group launches Fundamental Underwriters, a new brand focused on commercial trucking.
2019
Steve Cooper named president Third Coast Underwriters.
