Markel Corporation is a financial holding company serving a range of markets. The Company markets and underwrites specialty insurance products. The Company operates in four segments: Excess and Surplus Lines, Specialty Admitted, London markets and Alterra Segment. It also owns interests in industrial and service businesses, which operate outside of the specialty insurance marketplace. Business in the Excess and Surplus Lines segment is written through two distribution channels, professional surplus lines general agents who have limited quoting and binding authority and wholesale brokers. In January 2013, OneBeacon Insurance Group Ltd sold Essentia Insurance Company to the Company. In May 2013, it announced that it has completed its acquisition of Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd. On January 17, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of Abbey Protection plc.