2008-11-03 15:15:01 -

www.harleysvillegroup.com - The Board of Directors of Harleysville Group Inc. (NASDAQ:HGIC) today declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share, payable December 30, 2008, to shareholders of record on December 15, 2008. This marks the 90th consecutive quarter Harleysville Group has paid a dividend since the company went public in 1986.

Harleysville Insurance is a leading regional provider of insurance products and services for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as for individuals, and ranks among the top 60 U.S. property/casualty insurance groups based on net written premiums. Harleysville was listed recently as #30 in the InformationWeek 500, the publication's annual listing of the most innovative information technology organizations in the U.S., and has been ranked on

the list in each of the last three years. Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company owns 52 percent of Harleysville Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HGIC), a publicly traded holding company for eight regional property/casualty insurance companies collectively rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. Harleysville Group is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, which is comprised of the top third of all NASDAQ member companies and has the highest initial listing standards of any exchange in the world based on financial and liquidity requirements. Harleysville Group was one of 3 percent of public companies recognized with a 2007 Mergent Dividend Achiever Award for its long-term history of dividend increases. Harleysville Insurance--which distributes its products exclusively through independent insurance agencies and reflects that commitment to its agency force by being a Trusted Choice(R) company partner--currently operates in 32 eastern and midwestern states. Further information can be found on the company's Web site at www.harleysvillegroup.com.

Harleysville Group Inc.
Randy Buckwalter, 215-256-5288 (office)
267-718-3766 (cell)
rbuckwalter@harleysvillegroup.com