Co-operative Insurance Cos.became the 66th company member of the Trusted Choiceconsumer-branding program for independent insurance agents andbrokers.

Co-operativeInsurance, headquartered in Middlebury, Vt., is an associationof three Vermont-based co-operative fire-insurance companies: thePatrons Co-operative Fire Insurance Co., the Farmers Co-operativeFire Insurance Co. and the Rural Co-operative Fire Insurance Co.The companies date back to 1915, 1924 and 1933, respectively.

In 1951, for financial and efficiency reasons, the threeindividual companies joined forces as Co-operative Fire InsuranceAssociation of Vermont. In 1997, the name was changed toCo-operative Insurance Cos.

Co-operative Insurance serves home, auto, business and farmowners in Vermont and New Hampshire.

“We're happy to be associated with the Trusted Choice program,”says Marie Jewett, president and CEO of Co-operative Insurance.“Trusted Choice provides excellent tools to and visibility forindependent agents; we believe that joining the program is anopportunity for us to further support our agency force in Vermontand New Hampshire.”

Established in 2001, Trusted Choice is the independentagent-branding campaign set up by the Independent Insurance Agents& Brokers of America.