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Business Insurance serves business executives who are responsible for the purchase and administration of corporate insurance/self-insurance programs, encompassing both property and liability insurance and employee benefit programs, including life, health and pensions. Each week, the printed publication includes news and feature articles related to these key functions. From its Website, BI also delivers current news and information on a daily basis.

Business Insurance, which debuted on Oct. 30, 1967, is a publication of Crain Communications Inc.

What is now known as Crain Communications Inc. was started in Louisville, Ky., in 1916 by G.D. Crain Jr., who continued to conduct its affairs until his death in 1973. He started with a staff of three people and two publications - Class, which was subsequently renamed Industrial Marketing, and which is still published by the company as Business Marketing, and Hospital Management, a magazine for hospital administrators, which was sold during the 1950s. The tiny staff moved to Chicago later in 1916. In 1930, Mr. Crain launched Advertising Age, the international newspaper of marketing, and the company was incorporated as Advertising Publications Inc. Subsequently, as its publishing interests broadened beyond the advertising and marketing field, the corporate name was changed to its present title.

The company has a remarkable record of long, stable management. It has had only three chairmen and three presidents since its founding. G.D. Crain Jr. served as president until 1964, when he relinquished that title to veteran employee Sidney R. Bernstein, and assumed the title of chairman of the board. His widow, Gertrude R. Crain, became chairman upon his death in 1973, and continued in that post until her death in 1996. Sid Bernstein gave up the presidency in 1973 in favor of Rance Crain, elder son of G.D. Crain Jr., who continues in that post with Keith Crain, his brother, serving first as vice-chairman of the company and later elected chairman in 1997.

Crain has grown substantially from its modest beginnings, and now numbers 30 publications and a variety of other services. Links to some of the other Crain publications' websites can be found in the Links section of the Business Insurance website, and also at Crain's corporate home page, www.crain.com.

The company is privately owned, with nearly all of the stock owned by the Crain family and active employees. It has an unusual record of enlightened management and thoughtful consideration of employees, as evidenced by the fact that it was among the early companies to put an employee profit-sharing plan into effect. This plan is totally funded by the company, and has been in continuous operation since 1943. Crain was also among the early companies to establish life and medical insurance plans for workers. It installed a comprehensive pension plan in 1959, a dental plan in 1981 and in addition, has maintained a year-end bonus plan for many years.

Business Insurance currently has a staff of approximately 50 employees, operating from major cities in the United States and in London. For more information on staff members, please click on the appropriate links at left to learn more about our editorial and sales staff.