Insurance firm bucks the downturn

The firm employs about 1, 000 people at its Uddingston call centre

Lanarkshire-based Kwik-Fit Insurance has reported a sharp rise in sales of motor and home policies.

The company finished 2008 on a high recording its best December in more than a decade.

Sales of car insurance policies were up by 12.5% on last year and home insurance policies rose by a fifth.

KFI was established in 1995 and is part of the Kwik-Fit Group. It employs about 1,000 staff at its Uddingston call centre.

It has reported that call volumes are up to 10 million a year.

In December the firm wrote almost 18, =000 motor insurance policies and 3,160 home insurance policies.

Bert Main, business development director at KFI, said: "The new business figures for December are excellent and reflect another successful year as a whole."

He added that the company would be maintaining its focus on staff retention and training in the year ahead and would continue to expand its online operations.