Safelite
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, Insurance |
| Founded | 1947 in Wichita, Kansas, United States |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | 720+ |
Area served | North America |
Key people | Renee Cacchillo (President & CEO) |
| Parent | Belron |
| Website | www |
Safelite Group, Inc. is an American provider of automotive glass repair and replacement services, wholesale automotive glass sales, along with insurance claims management, based in Columbus, Ohio. Safelite is being sued by the state of California and faces a September 2025 trial for alleged insurance fraud.
History
[edit]Bud Glassman and Art Lankin started Safelite in a junkyard in Wichita, Kansas in 1947.[1]
The company declared bankruptcy in 1997, after which time, the company became owned by its largest creditor, J.P. Morgan & Co.[2]
In 2007, Safelite was acquired by Luxembourg based Belron, which is in turn owned by the D'Ieteren group,[3] Belron is the world's largest vehicle glass company, providing service in over 32 countries.
Thomas Feeney became the president and CEO in 2008.[4] In late 2021, Renee Cachillo became the President and CEO as Thomas Feeney moved into a leadership role for Belron North America.
On 5 January 2023, Safelite and two of its business units were sued for insurance fraud in a lawsuit brought by former SAG product development and strategy manager Brian Williams, on behalf of himself and the people of California. The lawsuit alleges that the company used less expensive universal moldings, but billed insurers for more expensive part-specific units instead.[5] A motion to strike this whistleblower complaint was denied in 2024,[6] and the trial date has been set for September 2025.[7]
Operations
[edit]Safelite operates in all 50 states. The company is composed of three major business operations:[8]
- Safelite AutoGlass, an automotive glass repair and replacement services provider
- Safelite Solutions, an insurance claims management services provider
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "About Safelite | Safelite Reviews | Safelite AutoGlass". www.safelite.com. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Database (undated). "Safelite Glass Corporation" Archived September 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. BankruptcyData.com. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
- ^ "UPDATE 2-D'Ieteren's Belron buys U.S. market leader". Reuters. February 6, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- ^ "Safelite AutoGlass Leaders | Safelite AutoGlass". www.safelite.com. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "Safelite Sued for Insurance Fraud in California". Glassbytes.com. August 28, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ "Whistleblower Complaint Remains Unstricken, Safelite Lawsuit Heads To Trial". Glassbytes.com. July 23, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ "California Court Orders Safelite AutoGlass to Answer Whistleblower Complaint Alleging Rampant Insurance Fraud; Case Set for September 2025 Trial". CPMLegal.com. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Staff (undated). "Safelite AutoGlass® Companies". Safelite Group. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
External links
[edit]
https://glassbytes.com/2023/08/safelite-sued-for-insurance-fraud-in-california/
- American companies established in 1947
- Financial services companies established in 1947
- Automotive companies established in 1947
- Retail companies established in 1947
- American subsidiaries of foreign companies
- Auto parts suppliers of the United States
- Automotive repair shops of the United States
- Car windows
- Companies based in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area
- Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1997
- Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2000
- Manufacturing companies based in Ohio
- Privately held companies based in Ohio
- 1947 establishments in Ohio