Large Property/Casualty Insurers

At West Bend Mutual Insurance Co., the top-ranked large property/casualty insurer in this year's Business Insurance Best Places to Work in Insurance, the company strives to provide employees opportunities to grow professionally, offers attractive benefits and amenities, and tries to create an environment in which employees can have fun.

But what really sets the company apart as an employer is trust, said Kevin Steiner, the West Bend, Wis.-based company's president and CEO.

“What it really gets down to in making organizations great places to work, you create an environment of trust and openness and fairness,” Mr. Steiner said.

A mutual insurance company founded in 1894, West Bend writes business in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Missouri, providing commercial property/casualty insurance as well as personal lines.

First, “what we strive for is to provide an environment where our associates can grow professionally,” Mr. Steiner said. “Second, we've really worked to create an environment that's all about serving others, helping others. Third, we want to have fun doing that.”

“We have a wonderful wellness program. We have some wonderful education programs for our associates,” he said. Beyond that, though, “at West Bend, I like to say that all the officers hang their egos at the door,” Mr. Steiner said.

“We have a lot of fun at West Bend. We have our officer team get dressed up and do crazy things, and we get laughed at a lot, but to me that creates an environment of trust,” the president and CEO said. “We're all in it together.”

2

Philadelphia Insurance designs, markets and underwrites commercial property/casualty and management and professional liability insurance products tailored for the unique exposure of niche markets, providing competitively priced policies, local service relationships and differentiated coverage features.

What makes the company a great place to work? “PHLY is all about camaraderie, giving back and healthy, balanced lifestyles. We foster open communication and have many policies in place and provide many benefits to support these characteristics. By putting so much time and effort into these areas, PHLY employees really feel like a family. We promote a culture of respect and teamwork where each person's contributions are welcomed. PHLY is committed to providing its employees with opportunities and resources to grow and be rewarded.”

3

Hanover offers a wide range of P/C products and services through a network of independent insurance agents. For nearly 160 years, the company and its agent partners have provided customers with the security, protection and peace of mind that comes with insurance. It is committed to help customers recover as much and as quickly as possible.

What makes the company a great place to work? “This is a special institution committed to delivering on our promises—to our agents, to our customers, to our community and to each another. Our employees have significant growth and development opportunities, challenging work and we...reward employees for their contributions.”