Editor's Note: This article is a...

Editor's Note:

This article is an update to "Becoming a Contender" the profile of Safeco Corp. that appeared in the October 2003 issue of Best's Review.

In its drive to be common of the top-performing companies hi the auto and small-business market, Safeco Corp. is selling its Life & Investments company and focusing in succession becoming a pure property/casualty enterprise. The company said the restructuring also will include the elimination of 500 piece of works and $75 million in charges from the property/casualty operations that remain.

Mike McGavick, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Seattle-based Safeco,