At Schiff, Kreidler-Shell, we believe that we can accomplish great things for our customers. Which is why we consistently strive to find new solutions for your insurance, risk management and financial service needs. Whether you're protecting business or personal assets, SKS can help you identify new ways to strengthen your future and improve your bottom line.

If you're looking to increase the value you're getting out of your insurance provider, give us a call. We've dedicated our business to serving our customers well. In fact, we've hung our hats on it.


Our Company History

The Schiff, Kreidler-Shell, Inc. company was created in 1984 when Robert Schiff purchased Kreidler-Shell from the Cincinnati Equitable Insurance Company. However, the firm's history began over 100 years earlier and involved some of the most prominent names in the Cincinnati Insurance business.

Schiff, Kreidler-Shell's oldest ancestor is the A.R. Witham Co., established in 1876 and originally located on West Third Street. By the turn of the century, Witham had moved its offices to the Masonic Temple building and specialized in fire insurance. H. Raymond Smith, a leading alumnus of Woodward High School, was a long-time president of the company in the first half of the 20th century. Witham Co. primarily sold personal insurance and remained in business until 1970, when it was purchased by the Cincinnati Equitable Insurance Company. A.R. Witham was later merged into the firm that became Kreidler-Shell.

In the early 1970s, Cincinnati Equitable also purchased the William H. Kreidler Insurance Agency. Kreidler, a member of the board of elections and a former vice chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party Executive Committee, began his agency in 1955. The firm was primarily a bonding agency, writing surety bonds for contractors.

With the purchase of the Kreidler Agency and the A.R. Witham Co., Cincinnati Equitable, one of the city's oldest financial institutions, hoped to broaden its insurance offerings. Needing new management to oversee the expansion, Cincinnati Equitable purchased the insurance company A.W. Shell & Co. in 1975.

A.W. Shell & Co. was one of the four leading insurance companies in Cincinnati in the post-World War II period. The company's predecessor, the Henry C. Shell Agency, opened at Third and Main Streets in 1877.

When Albert W. Shell took over the agency from his father, he renamed it. By 1928 its offices were in the First National Bank Building and it sold fire, tornado, marine, boiler, accident, casualty, automobile and public liability insurance. Among its clients were many large commercial firms, including the Cincinnati Union Stockyards, Andrew Jergens Company, Gibson Art Company and The Baldwin Company. West Shell, A.W.'s son, succeeded his father as president and in 1969 he was succeeded by Louis Hellming.

Cincinnati Equitable merged with the firm of Kreidler, Witham and Shell; renamed them Kreidler-Shell; retained Hellming as president of the new company; and operated Kreidler-Shell as a subsidiary.

In 1984, Cincinnati Equitable sold Kreidler-Shell to Robert Schiff and the name was changed to Schiff, Kreidler-Shell, Inc.

Bob Schiff started in the insurance business in Columbus, Ohio in 1945 and subsequently moved to Cincinnati and helped found the Cincinnati Insurance Company in 1951. Cincinnati Insurance Company grew into Cincinnati Financial Corporation with assets of $2 billion.

In 1991, Thomas R. Dietz was appointed President/COO of the agency and subsequently to President/CEO in 1998. Tom Dietz began his insurance career with Aetna Casualty in 1972 as a claims representative and began with Kreidler-Shell as a producer in 1980.

The firm has over 110 employees and sells all lines of insurance; commercial insurance, personal lines, life insurance, group benefits and risk management services.

Schiff, Kreidler-Shell is an employee owned cooperation, consisting of 32 Shareholders.