New jobs are on the cards this year at a Bradford-based insurance group, best known for covering church buildings, which is pushing forward with expanding its home insurance business through a new subsidiary company.

Congregational & General Insurance group, based in Little Germany, has increased its workforce over the past two years to 75 and is looking to add another ten during 2013, mainly for claims handling roles. CGI has launched a new subsidiary called Iconica Business Services Limited which will operate from its city centre base providing a range of ‘back office’ services for Integra Insurance Solutions, CGI’s home insurance business.

It will include customer contact and insurance policy administration, claims management, marketing support, account reporting and performance management.

Last year Congregational & General sold its majority share of its subsidiary home insurance operation MGA, Integra Insurance Solutions Ltd, to the Hannover Re Group.

Integra was launched by CGI in 2010 which marked its entry into the home insurance market.

Using Hannover Re’s capital strength to underwrite policies, CGI continues to provide services for the Integra business which has seen the value of policies rise to nearly £50 million since its launch. Carlo Cavaliere, CGI chief executive, said the aim was to achieve a £100 million book, which would put the business in the industry's top 20.

He said: “We’re on a positive growth journey and are delighted to announce such impressive workforce growth over the past two years and the launch of our latest company, Iconica.

“We’re half way to achieving our target of £100 million of home insurance business.

“It is an exciting time for the group and we plan to continue to grow and offer more employment opportunities in the future, with around ten more people being recruited this year.”

Mr Cavaliere said, while the mutual’s core business of providing cover for church buildings remained at the heart of the business, the main growth opportunities were in home cover and the launch of Iconica, to which existing CGI staff had been transferred, would help it to meet growth targets.

CGI sells most of its products through an expanding network of insurance brokers with claims handling and customer support being handled in Bradford. .

Mr Cavaliere said the ultimate aim was to develop the Iconica business so it could provide administration services to other insurance companies. CGI had invested million of pounds in new IT along with around £100,000 on upgrading its headquarters building in Currer Street where the business, which has been based in Bradford since 1906, has operated since the 1980s.

CGI’s growth has seen the insurer occupy more space in the building, which still provides room for further expansion.