ALLSTATES EMPLOYER SERVICES, INC. history

The business grew slowly but steadily during the Depression years, with premiums reaching $1.8 million in 1936.

In 1941 only one quarter of all drivers owned auto insurance, but then the state of New York passed a law requiring auto insurance, and other states soon followed suit.

Allstate conducts its community service activities through the Allstate Foundation, an independent corporation created in 1952 funded by Allstate Insurance.

Founded in 1953, SITE is a membership organization of training professionals in the insurance and financial services industry.

Also, in 1957 Allstate formed the subsidiary Allstate Life Insurance Company, which grew at an astronomical rate, bringing in $1 billion in life insurance revenues after just six years in business.

In 1960 Allstate launched Allstate Enterprises, Inc., as the umbrella for a number of non-insurance based activities including a motor club, and finance businesses such as vehicle financing, mortgage banking, and mutual fund management.

Two new subsidiaries formed in 1964 to manage Allstate's Canadian interests: Allstate Insurance Company of Canada and Allstate Life Insurance Company of Canada.

Allstate also formed Tech-Cor,Inc., an auto-body research and reclamation business, in 1976.

In 1978 the company established two wholly owned subsidiaries: Northbrook Property and Casualty Insurance Company and Allstate Reinsurance Company, Ltd., a London-based subsidiary of Allstate's international operations.

In 1981 Allstate purchased Surety Life Insurance Company and Lincoln Benefit Life Company from the Dean Witter Reynolds group.

A new, aggressive advertising campaign launched using the motto, "Leave It to the Good Hands People." The company's rapid growth finally caught up to earnings, and in 1990 the company posted a decreased net income, barely surpassing $700 million.

Rebounding from the loss, Allstate offered 20 percent of its stock to the public in 1993, generating $2.4 billion in capital.

Allstate responded by introducing Internet and telemarketing sales in 1999, which quickly sparked the ire of agents bypassed in the new process.

By 2002 almost half of Allstate's 13,000 agents held securities licenses.