History

Having been enlisted into the Royal Navy during the 2nd World War, William Edward (Bill) Cox spent a couple of years after the war on mine sweepers in the waters around Malaysia and Singapore, before returning to civilian life when he joined a well-known claim settling and adjusting company. Bill worked in the recoveries department, endeavouring to obtain reimbursement from the shipping line responsible for the claim, where his colleagues in the adjusting team had settled the claim under the policy on behalf of insurers.

After years of hard work, including going to night school to secure his ACII qualification, Bill thought it would be a good idea to offer this recovery service to insurers in the London market, on any claims they had settled themselves.

Bill became a pioneer of his time, when in August 1961, he sold the family car, bought a typewriter, and set up his own recovery company, W.E. Cox & Co. (Recoveries) Ltd, working on his own from the kitchen table of their family home in Lee, South East London. Bill offered a unique service that was appreciated by many insurers in London particularly as he was offering his service on a “no cure – no pay” basis. W.E. Cox & Co. (Recoveries) Ltd steadily grew in the 1960’s and 1970’s to become the leading recovery company in the UK marine insurance market.

His son, David joined the W.E. Cox in 1981 and spent a considerable amount of time travelling around the world, offering this unique service to foreign insurers and multi-national companies, which proved to be very successful. Over the years, the company continued to invest, expand, and diversify, by not only offering recovery services, but also claim settling, adjusting, surveys and casualty services, including providing guarantees on behalf of cargo interests, accepted and recognised by Lloyd’s, salvors and GA adjusters. With the company taking the title of the W.E. Cox Claims Group and with a growing international client base the Cox Group opened offices in strategic locations worldwide, so all time zones were covered with top quality, fully trained and experienced staff manning every office worldwide.

In 2003 Bill’s grandson, David’s son, Michael, joined the Cox Group and has helped David immensely, developing the business still further to become one of the leading claim settling/recovery/survey companies in the world, offering unique and invaluable services to insurers, brokers, and companies all around the world. In the coming years Michael will be taking over the reins from his father David, in the same way as David did from Bill. And how very proud his grandfather would be, to know that from those humble beginnings, as a one-man business, working from the kitchen table of his family home, the Cox Group has grown to become an internationally recognised company, that is utilised by many leading insurers, brokers and high-quality companies around the world.

After 60 years, the Cox Group remains a family-owned business that continues to thrive and prosper, with the simple aim of providing the best service to our clients long into the future.