The story of international insurance agency C. Jarvis reads like a novel. With a strong family foundation and captivating leading characters. In 1946 the company was founded by Charles C. Jarvis in Cleveland, Ohio (USA) and is now owned by his granddaughter Kimberly Jarvis. Together with her sister, Sandy Jarvis, and her daughter, BrookeMarie Jarvis, Kimberly holds the reins of the world’s leading agency in equine insurance. To better facilitate business internationally the agency is now officially licensed in over 30 countries in the European Union. The Jarvis ladies continue to be at the forefront of new endeavours and proudly provide equine, liability, ranch, farm, as well as personal insurance on a global scale.
While the company has it’s headquarters in the the city of Aurora in the Midwest of the United States, the representatives of the insurance company provide their services all over the globe. The company stands out thanks to their family lead operation and their hands on approach, BrookeMarie Jaris, the companies head of advertising and marketing, explains. “We pride ourselves on our professionalism but also our ability to relate. All our representatives are in one way or another linked to the horse industry. They are enthusiasts or own horses themselves, just like myself and my family. We understand like no other, what we as an insurance agency are protecting, and what the horses, the sport and ranches mean to their owners.”
No office hours
“We make sure that someone from our company is available 24/7, in all different timeszones we cover. For example, I received a call from the Middle East in the middle of the night only last night. Situations occur and we want to be there to provide assistance and advice whenever our clients need it, not only during office hours. Owning or working with horses requires seven days a week dedication and that is what we stand for as well. Our clients range from single horse owners at novice level, to top riders at Olympic level and everything in between. From large American ranches to Arabian show horse stables, we cover it all.” Marketresearch proves the insurances that the company sells are very competitively priced. “We try to be as competive as possible, not just when it comes to pricing, with all the services that we provide. Because of our commitment to the community and openmindedness, we get great feedback from our agents and clients, and that’s more valuable than anything”.
Female legacy
With three women at the helm of the company, the question arises how working so closely with your family actually works. “I am now the 4th generation in the company and we’ve developed a lot over the years. Like any other business there are challenges but I feel that it is such a priviledge to have your biggest support system around you. We all have different strengths and perspectives that compliment each other. I am very proud to be a part of a legacy of resilient women, especially in a male dominated field.” This brings us to another fun fact about the company: it is not only led by women but all its 20 in-house employees are female as well. “We have nothing against men”, BrookeMarie smiles. “We’ve had several male employees on our staff over the years, and we still have them working for us as outside agents, but we currently find ourselfs with a fantastic in-house team of women. We believe that compassion, drive and relatability to the equine industry make a good team member, no matter their gender.”
Islamic/Sharia Insurance
“My mother initiated the strategy to transition into an equine specific one-stop-shop in the late eighties after she bought the company from my great grandfather when he retiring. And since then we’ve been creating new and expansive coverages”. One of the strengths that sets the company apart from its competitors is their ability to develop within changing markets. “In the eighties and nineties the import of Polish Arabian horses into the US was thriving and that is how we grew our client base in Europe. Based on that foundation we recognised that there was a largely untapped market in the Middle East. So while completing my studies in International Business I joined the family business and we felt it was important to broaden our horizon and understanding of the Arabian market. As it turns out the principles of Islamic insurance are a bit different to conventional insurance. There are Sharia laws to take into consideration when it comes to insurance products. We tapped into a niche market of the horse industry and worked with our incredible team of Underwriters to create Takaful coverage for horses. We did this based on our commitment to all horse enthusiast; solidarity, mutual responsibility and cooperation.”
Combining tradition with technology
“If we fast forward to 2024, we service clients in all disciplines of horse sports, from dressage to showjumping, western, show horses, race horses and broodmares. We provde our services all over the USA, the EU and in the Middle East, including the travel of horses. It has become much more common to fly horses all over the world, so this has become a staple in our insurance coverages as well.” Whereas the company prides itself on it global presence with a personal touch, they also recognise the importance of innovation when it comes to technology. “We have some clients that traditionally still prefer to go over a quote by phone, but with the changing times we’ve also invested in technology that enables our website visitors to get a quote in minutes after providing the specifications that suit their needs.”
“In the end we are proud the serve the horse community in any way we can. We understand the love for the horse and enjoy what the equine industry brings us and our clients. In the partnership that we have with Barnbridge, the European auction horse market is now also learning about our services and we are excited to see where this will lead us”, BrookeMarie concludes.
If you are interested what C. Jarvis Insurance Inc. can do for you, we recommend taking a look at their website: www.jarvisinsurance.com or contacting BrookeMarie by email on bmj@jarvisinsurance.com or phone number: +1.440.248.5330
