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Banking industry

First American Financial Corporation Acquires Barton County Abstract & Title Company

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

First American Financial Corporation, a leading provider of business information and related products and services, has announced the acquisition of Barton County Abstract & Title Company from its owners, Robert J. Uplinger Jr. and Julie A. Uplinger. This strategic move aims to enhance First American's automated title searching capability and expand its database of property information. The acquisition complements First American's existing database, which already contains over 450 million records, and adds to the company's existing presence in Kansas.

Key Takeaways:

  • First American Financial Corporation, through its subsidiary First American Title Insurance Company, has acquired Barton County Abstract & Title Company, a single-location abstract and title company in Great Bend, Kansas.
  • The acquisition marks the company's fifth in Kansas this year, with previous purchases including Security Abstract and Title and three Guarantee Title branches.
  • Barton County Abstract, established in 1874 as Dodge Abstract, has a rich history and will continue to operate under its current name with Robert J. Uplinger Jr. as manager.
  • The company has over 20 years of title industry experience and has been under an underwriting relationship with First American since 1987.
  • The acquisition aims to support First American's goal of developing a fully automated, centralized title searching capability.
  • The addition of Barton County Abstract's extensive title plant, containing records dating back to 1872, will enhance First American's integrated database of property information.
  • The company's Data Tree subsidiary, the nation's largest repository of imaged recorded title documents, contains over 600 million records.

Statistics:

  • First American's acquisition of Barton County Abstract adds to the company's existing database of over 450 million records.
  • The acquisition marks the company's fifth in Kansas this year, expanding its presence in the state.
  • Barton County Abstract has been in operation for over 130 years.
  • The company has a single location in Great Bend, Kansas.
  • Robert J. Uplinger Jr. has over 20 years of title industry experience.

Sources:

  • First American Financial Corporation's press release, dated November 1, 1999.

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