FROM THE BEGINNING:
1st Guard Corporation started in 1937, as a Detroit based insurance agency. Initially the company sold general lines’ insurance to small businesses. It later created a truck insurance division to supplement its general lines' sales.
Mr. Edmund B. Campbell, Jr. purchased the company in 1965. Recognizing the potential of the truck insurance division, he directed a larger share of the agency’s resources to developing insurance products for independent truckers. His efforts culminated in 1969, when Mr. Campbell, Jr. divested the general lines’ portion of the agency. That made 1st Guard Corporation an exclusive provider of truck insurance programs for owner operators, and the company has never looked back.
In 1991, Mr. Campbell, Jr. sold the company to his son, Mr. Edmund B. Campbell, III. Under Mr. Campbell, III the company embarked upon a growth and automation strategy that led to the formation of First Guard Insurance Company (rated "A" by AM BEST). By writing business directly rather than through agents and brokers, First Guard Insurance Company enjoys one of the lowest cost structures in the insurance industry. This in turn translates into lower premiums for owner operators.
Biglari Holdings Inc. (NYSE BH) acquired the 1st Guard organization in 2014. The advent of a publicly traded parent company presents new opportunities for growth and innovation, but the traditions and people that made 1st Guard the leader in owner operator truck insurance remain in place.