Login Click here to open and close mobile menu Home : About Selective : Our Story Click here to open share options OUR STORY The history of a company is often the story of its roots and the ideas that move it forward. Selective Insurance in NJ began with an accident that led to the idea that has been the foundation of Selective’s customer service strategies through nine decades. HISTORICAL TIMELINE The carriage that led to Selective’s founding is located in the corporate headquarters and serves as a reminder of the company’s legacy. prev The Beginning: 1926 – 1928 next The accident A runaway horse got company founder Daniel L.B. Smith into the insurance business. In the 1920s, he was operating a small chain of general stores in Sussex County, NJ. He sometimes lent a horse and carriage to one of his friends, a banker and insurance agent. On one of these occasions, the horse ran away and wrecked the carriage. D.L.B. refused to take any remuneration, but when the agent moved from the area, he gave Smith some policy declarations for farms and homes he had insured through his agency. The new D.L.B. Smith Agency was set up in the front window of his Branchville store. The idea Before long, D.L.B. had developed a reputation for being a man of his word and interested in the welfare of his clients. He soon became dissatisfied with the metropolitan carriers who were servicing his rural clients and decided that a local insurance company would offer better rates and service. So he started one. 1926 With an initial investment of $20,000, Smith and several colleagues established Selected Risks Insurance Company. The new company’s president was Dr. L.B. Hoagland. 1928 Investment and opportunity It didn’t take long in those early years for people to discover the advantages of a local insurance company that was committed to a more personal and timely way of doing business. The policy count grew quickly, and the company’s leaders looked ahead to growth and investment. In 1928, Selected Risks became a stock company under the name Selected Risks Indemnity Company. More Company Information Our Vision and Values Privacy Notice CCPA Request AdChoices Do-Not-Call Policy User Agreement Text Consent Agent Compensation Purchase Order Terms and Conditions Confidentiality Notice: NY Victims of Domestic Violence Get Social: facebook Instagram linkedin twitter youtube Download Selective’s Mobile App: © 2021 Selective Insurance Group, Inc. Delivered by Investis Digital