History

Over the last 80 years, Nationwide has grown from a small auto insurer for Ohio farmers to one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the world, with more than $160 billion in statutory assets.

The Early Years

• 1925 − The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation incorporates the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company with the goal of providing quality auto insurance at low rates for rural drivers in Ohio.
  
  
• 1926 − The first policy is sold, and The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation is open for business.
  
  
• 1928 − With help from locally based sponsoring organizations, Farm Bureau Mutual begins expanding into other states. These include West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Vermont and North Carolina.
  
  
• 1934 − The company starts insuring motorists in metropolitan areas and, through the purchase of a fire insurance company, begins writing property insurance policies.
  
  
• 1943 − Farm Bureau Mutual operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia.

 

Becoming Nationwide

• 1955 − From 1943 on, the Farm Bureau Mutual expanded operations until it became clear that they had far outgrown their original goals... and their name. So, with a western expansion that included 20 additional states, the company changed its name to Nationwide Insurance^®.
  
  
• 1978 − Nationwide completes its international headquarters at One Nationwide Plaza. The 40-story structure is the largest single office building in Central Ohio.
  
  
• 1997 − Nationwide Financial^® goes public.
  
  
• 2000 − With a ground breaking in 1997, the Nationwide Arena opens providing a home to a National Hockey League franchise, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
  
  
• 2007 − Nationwide Bank opens to the public.