Domestic & General started out in a most unlikely place - the Western Australian outback. It was there in 1912 that our founder, Samuel Copley (who was originally from Huddersfield), started the Western Australia Insurance Company Limited (Waico), a small insurance company initially specialising in cover for sheep and cattle transportation.

Two years later Sam brought his business expertise back to the UK and set up a branch of his - by now thriving - company. He was also a philanthropist, purchasing the freehold of the town of Huddersfield from the local Ramsden family and holding it free of charge until the town was able to form a corporation and raise the funds to finance the acquisition.

The introduction of breakdown cover on early televisions proved to be our major business breakthrough in 1950. We were the first company to offer protection for the cathode ray tubes in the black and white televisions that were increasingly appearing in UK households. From there Domestic & General grew rapidly as we responded to the changing lifestyles of the day. Cover for kitchen equipment was introduced in 1977 and central heating followed in 1978.

Domestic & General was floated in 1988 and became fully listed on the London Stock Exchange. In November 2007 the company once again became privately owned when it was bought by Advent International Corporation and Domestic & General Group Holdings Limited was formed.

Today, our focus is on providing comprehensive product protection services. We work with over 150 UK and international brands, including many major manufacturers, retailers and financial services clients.

While the UK is our largest market, our international business is now an increasingly important part of our success, with 22% of our sales coming from overseas.