The first of three policies – at $2,500 each – are written for the West Bend Brewing Company.
April 13, 1894
West Bend Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Washington County, Wisconsin adopts its constitution. At this time company records are kept at the local law office of Barney and Kuechenmeister.
One claim for $17.40 is paid in first year.
West Bend ends its first full year with assets totaling $2,298.
1895
1894
1895
1896
1901
1907
1908
1914
1916
1918
1919
1922
1926
1930
1937
1940
1941
1944
1947
1949
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1959
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1963
1966
1968
1969
1972
1974
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1982
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1991
1993
1994
1999
2003
2008
2010
2016
2018
1896
West Bend expands sales into Dodge, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, and Waukesha Counties.
Milwaukee and Manitowoc Counties are added.
1901
The company has 2,696 fire insurance policies and collected premium of $18,517 on $2,483,056 of insurance in force.
1907
West Bend Mutual Fire Insurance Company occupies its first true home when a single-story, cement-block building is constructed at 519 Hickory Street. Total cost of the building: $3,880 paid in cash.
1908
West Bend Mutual sponsors a public event, a talk by the deputy state fire marshall.
1914
The company changes its name to West Bend Limited Mutual Fire Insurance Company.
1916
West Bend Mutual hires its first full-time employee.
1918
Policy limits are raised to $5,000 for buildings of “modern construction.”
1919
First stock purchase – 20 shares of the Kissel Motor Car Company.
1922
Annual net premium is $54,464.
1926
West Bend Mutual adds standard windstorm and tornado policies to its portfolio. They also introduce an “extended coverage” endorsement that includes an even broader range of protections against property damage caused by windstorm, hail, smoke, explosion, riot, vehicle, or aircraft.
1930
West Bend Mutual expands into Illinois.
1937
The company moves to a larger 5,000-square-foot headquarters at 300 South Sixth Avenue.
Premiums total $129,000.
1940
West Bend Mutual expands into Minnesota.
Annual net premium is $54,464.
1926
The company becomes licensed in Indiana but will not do business there until 1950.
1941
West Bend is licensed in Iowa and will begin doing business there in 1949.
1944
West Bend Mutual prepares to write casualty insurance.
1949
West Bend Mutual writes its first casualty insurance, an endorsement covering comprehensive personal liability, burglary, and residential glass coverage.
1953
West Bend is licensed in Florida.
1954
West Bend is licensed in Kentucky.
1955
Prepares to offer the popular new homeowners policy.
West Bend is licensed in Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.
1956
The board votes to eliminate the word “Fire” from the company’s name.
Premium is $2.1 million.
1957
The company is licensed in Michigan.
1959
West Bend Mutual moves to a new home office located at
1115 South Main Street. The two-story building is 15,000 square feet.
1960
The company introduces a commercial policy which offers commercial property owners a combination of property, casualty, and inland marine coverages.
1963
The "Time Tested" hourglass logo is launched.
1968
Premium reaches $8.2 million.
1969
West Bend Mutual introduces the special multi-coverage (SMC) plan which allows them to combine a variety of commercial coverages –auto, fire, garage liability, inland marine, crime, glass, general liability, and workers’ compensation.
1974
The businessowners policy is added, packaging property, casualty, and inland marine coverages for small businesses.
1980
West Bend Mutual builds yet again with a 34,000-square-foot addition. This brings the total square footage at their home office to
64,000 with room for 360 associates.
1982
Home and Highway® is introduced, offering personal lines coverages – automobile, homeowners, boats, recreational vehicles, and personal umbrella – on one policy.
1984
Partners In Excellence, the company’s agency management and communications tool, as well as an incentive travel program, is introduced.
1985
The company launches an in-house training program for agents and associates.
1986
West Bend Mutual moves to its new home office at 1900 South 18th Avenue, occupying 55 acres of a 160-acre site. The 150,000-square-foot building is set on farmland the company restored back to natural prairie and woodlands.
1991
West Bend Mutual wrote direct written premium of $187.4 million.
1993
There are now 540 associates.
1994
NSI, West Bend’s division that focuses on specialty insurance and bond programs, is introduced. The division is located in Middleton, Wisconsin.
1999
Another office expansion takes place, expanding the building by 160,000 square feet.
2008
Written premium is $597,000.
There are now 15 employees.
1947
First company computer is purchased.
1966
The company builds a 15,000-square-foot addition at their home office on Main Street. There are now 85 associates.
1972
The property, casualty, and inland marine underwriting departments are reorganized into two divisions – personal lines and commercial lines.
West Bend's new brand is launched with taglines "The Silver Lining" and "The Worst Brings Out Our Best."
For the first time, the company produces and airs television ads in several states.
2008
Argent, West Bend's division that specializes in workers' compensation insurance, is introduced in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
2010
Reaches a milestone $1 billion in premium!
2016
Over 1,200 associates.
2018
2019 AWARDS
Top Workplaces - SE WI
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Multi-Year Recipient
Best Workplaces™ in Financial Services & Insurance
Great Place To Work
BCA 10 Honoree
Americans for the Arts
BBB Torch Award
for Ethics
Gold Workplace Health Achievement
American Heart Association
Best Places to Work in Insurance
Multi-Year Recipient
Deloitte's Wisconsin 75
Top Charitable Contributors
Ranked 17th for total cash contributions paid in WI
Ward Group's 2019 List
50 top-performing property/casualty insurers
