The company’s original tagline, “The ERIE is Above all in S^ERv^Ic^E” still stands today. The letters “erie” in the word “service” are raised to emphasize their commitment to superior customer service.  

The founders of Erie Insurance, H.O. Hirt and O.G. Crawford, discovered their knack for sales and customer service while both employed at the Pennsylvania Indemnity Exchange (PIE).  But they each came from very different backgrounds. 

Henry Orth Hirt was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, and put himself through Wittenberg College. He became a teacher but soon had to quit when he contracted tuberculosis. Against the odds of the deadly disease, H.O. survived. He then worked a series of jobs, including reviving a fledgling grocery store into a profitable business. However, his health couldn’t withstand the physical labor, so he then turned to sales at the Pennsylvania Indemnity Exchange. 

Oliver Grover Crawford was originally a Navy man. After serving for six years, he became a railroad brakeman before crossing paths with H.O., when H.O. recommended he apply for a job at PIE. O.G. was hired as a salesman and realized he, too, had a knack for sales. In just 30 days, he completed 243 applications! 

It didn’t take long for H.O. and O.G. to realize they would be perfect partners on a venture of their own. In 1924, they resigned from the PIE and started organizing the Erie Insurance Exchange. It only took 3 months and 20 days to win over 90 stockholders with their hand-written business plan and enthusiasm for their mission: 

“To provide our Policyholders with as near perfect protection, as near perfect service, as is humanly possible, and to do so at the lowest possible cost.” -H.O. Hirt 

As planned, the company was founded on customer service, supported by encouraging their customers to call collect. Any policyholder who had a claim issue were also given H.O.’s direct line. Word of their superior service began to spread, and within a few short years, Erie Insurance was a nationally-known company. 

Their vision took Erie Insurance from a two-person venture to the FORTUNE® 500 company it is today. Erie Insurance now operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia, including Erie Insurance North Carolina. Erie Insurance agents in North Carolina and across the states uphold the same customer service standards established nearly 100 years ago. 

Erie Insurance is a regional insurance company that ranks highly among much larger companies. Operating in only 12 of the 50 states, Erie Insurance is still the:  

• 12^th largest auto insurer in the U.S. 
• 11^th largest home insurer in the U.S.  
• 12^th largest business insurer in the U.S. 

The financial stability of Erie Insurance is also highly ranked, earning: 

• A.M. Best’s A+ rating for Erie Insurance Group  
• A.M. Best’s A rating for Erie Family Life Insurance Company 
• FORTUNE® 500 ranking since 2003 

Erie Insurance has also received the following awards: 

• ACE (Achievement in Customer Excellence) Awards in 2016 and 2017 from Confirmit 
• The Brotherhood of Children Award: given to H.O. Hirt in 1954 for his lifelong concern for those less fortunate