Mahalo Hawaii: GEICO celebrates 60 years of service in the Aloha State

On December 31, 1949 GEICO wrote its very first Hawaii auto policy on an island chain known as the "The Gathering Place." Now, 60 years later, GEICO is Hawaii's largest auto insurance company and also provides coverage for homes, condos, boats, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and other types of coverage (see also GEICO).

GEICO's rise to the top in Hawaii has been as steady as the trade winds. The first branch office opened in 1980 in Honolulu with 10 associates. Now there are 170 GEICO associates who service nearly 130,000 Hawaiian households. In 2004, they helped GEICO's Hawaii operation to become the top private passenger auto insurer in the state.

As the former manager of the first Hawaii branch office, Don Lyons, senior vice president, said, "I am proud of GEICO's growth throughout the last 60 years-being Hawaii's top private passenger auto insurer is quite an accomplishment and we owe it to the hard-working associates who make that possible every day. I look forward to many more years in the Aloha state and to continue to be a strong presence in the local communities."

Aside from its business activities, GEICO has become a strong community builder in Hawaii. The company is a supporter of the new Shriners' Hospital for Children and associates work year round to provide volunteers and raise funds for the Hawaii Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Special Olympics Victory Dance and Miracle Meals Turkey Dinners.

In 2008, GEICO worked with the Auto Body and Painting Association of Hawaii (ABPAH) to create the GEICO Apprenticeship Program to help improve training and increase job opportunity for auto body technicians.

Current branch manager, Tim Dayton, is not only appreciative of GEICO's Hawaii staff achieving 60 years on the island state but also of the local communities for their support of GEICO throughout the years. Of the anniversary, Dayton said, "We are especially grateful that 128,000 island families entrust GEICO to provide their auto insurance protection."

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) - as part of Berkshire Hathaway - is the third-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States*. GEICO provides auto insurance coverage for 9 million policyholders and insures more than 16 million vehicles.

In addition to auto insurance, GEICO offers customers insurance products for their motorcycles, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), boats, homes, apartments and mobile homes. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection and life insurance are also available.

As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies, GEICO is rated A++ for financial strength by A.M. Best Company and ranks at the top of several national customer satisfaction surveys. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com.

*A.M. Best 2008 market share data