Amazon.com description: Product Description: In 1907, America was on the verge of great change. The United States then consisted primarily of farms and small towns, while horses and coal-fed locomotives remained the chief modes of transportation, despite the invention of the automobile. Adolph Thomas Vigneron, however, anticipated that automobiles would become an inevitable part of the country's future, and in one small room, he founded the Automobile Mutual Insurance Company of America (Amica) in Providence, Rhode Island. Vigneron, an inventor and businessman, envisioned Amica as a mutual company, owned by policyholders instead of stockholders. He introduced the concept of preferred risk underwriting to the nascent field of car insurance, forgoing soliciting agents to rely exclusively on personal referrals from existing policyholders. From those humble beginnings, Amica has expanded to include services such as home, condominium, and renters insurance, as well as life insurance and retirement planning. With 38 branches in 27 states, the company continues to maintain its strict values and to provide outstanding customer service to its policyholders, always paying claims promptly and liberally. From employing two clerks in 1907, Amica has grown to include a staff of more than 3,000 associates nationwide, with an average tenure of more than a decade. Amica s employees contribute to a corporate culture frequently referred to as the Amica Family, helping the company maintain its leadership position within the industry. Although Amica has never strived to be the biggest insurance company in the country, it prides itself on being the best. In Amica: A Century of Service 1907 2007, discover the remarkable people and events that have guided this unique company during its first century.