ABOUT US
Over a century of serving customers with integrity and stability
Western National Insurance Group is a private mutual insurance company with over 120 years of experience serving policyholders' property-and-casualty insurance needs. From our roots as a St. Paul-based fire insurance company for Minnesota's creameries and cheese factories to our current role as a super-regional insurance company for individuals, families, and businesses all over the Midwestern, Northwestern, and Southwestern United States, our company has always defined success as a measure of the relationships we've built over time. We believe it's this commitment to relationships that explains our stability and growth over the past century, and that will help us continue to grow in the years to come.
At Western National, we distribute our policies exclusively through Independent Insurance Agents—professionals who are focused on your insurance needs, not ours. We are proud supporters of our Independent Insurance Agency Partners and their regional associations.
For a map of where Western National Insurance Group’s standard property-and-casualty insurance products are sold, click here. To search for an Independent Insurance Agent offering any of the Group’s products, click here.
For more information on Western National, please contact us.
OUR MISSION
To act with integrity in the service of others.
We will achieve this mission by maintaining financial strength and by establishing lasting relationships with people and businesses who share these attributes with us:
- A passion for business and life
- A desire to serve others in need
- Adaptability to a changing world
- A strong sense of humility and humor
At Western National, we understand the importance of having a brief, yet memorable mission to guide us today and into the future. We believe the mission described above serves to endorse our past while providing quality guideposts for the present and the years ahead.
OUR HISTORY
1900 - 1901
The Mutual Creamery and Cheese Factory Fire Insurance Company of Minnesota is incorporated in late January 1900 in St. Paul, Minn., with the company’s sole purpose being to insure against loss or damage by fire to creamery and cheese cooperative association members' commercial buildings, products, machinery, and supplies. The company is officially chartered and begins operations in May 1901. The initial year’s premium writings are $263,079, with assets of $812.22. The company's first claim payment is made on September 18, 1901 for $5.21 to West Concord Cooperative.
1915
Mutual Creamery and Cheese Factory Liability Insurance Company of Minnesota is formed in St. Paul, Minn. to serve the same cooperative members as the Fire Company, but to insure against liability losses.
1925
Mutual Creamery and Cheese Factory Tornado Insurance Company of Minnesota is formed in Redwood Falls, Minn. to protect the same cooperative members from loss to property by tornado and cyclone.
1953
The Property and Liability companies merge to become Mutual Creamery Insurance Company.
1955
The principal place of business moves to Richfield, Minn. The company determines that, after insuring over 90% of the target market of creameries and cheese cooperatives, it must sell other lines of insurance (such as Personal Auto and Homeowner insurance) and to additional customers. The company also decides to sell through Independent Insurance Agents instead of the prior method of selling directly through company personnel.
1970
The name of the company is changed to Western National Mutual Insurance Company, and the company is headquartered in a new building located in Edina, Minn.
1974
Western National Mutual Insurance Company purchases the Cascade Insurance Company in Seattle, Wash., changing the name to Western National Assurance Company, and starts writing personal and commercial lines through Independent Insurance Agents in Oregon and Washington.
2007 - 2016
A series of mergers, acquisitions, and affiliation expands the Group's presence to six active insurance companies and more than 25 states of operation. New members of the Group include American Freedom Insurance Company (Mount Prospect, Ill.), Pioneer Specialty Insurance Company (Edina, Minn.), and Umialik Insurance Company (Anchorage, Alaska). In early 2015, Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company (Lansing, Mich.) becomes an affiliate member of the Western National Insurance Group.
Present
Western National has continued its stable growth and today is one of the finest groups of property-and-casualty insurance companies in the Northern, Midwestern, and Western U.S. (including Alaska). Our simple commitment to honesty, fair underwriting, quality products and service, and strong relationships with our agent partners and policyholders continues today. With total assets of over $1 billion, the future of Western National Insurance Group has never been brighter!
OUR COMPANIES
Western National Insurance Group consists of the following regional, standard property-and-casualty insurance companies:
Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company (Lansing, Mich.)
Affiliate of Western National Mutual Insurance Company
Pioneer Specialty Insurance Company (Edina, Minn.)
Umialik Insurance Company (Anchorage, Alaska)
Western National Assurance Company (Edina, Minn.)
Western National Mutual Insurance Company (Edina, Minn.)
The Group also owns non-standard carrier American Freedom Insurance Company (AFIC) of Mount Prospect, Ill.
Western National Insurance Group writes personal lines in the following states:
AK, IA, IL*, IN*, MN, PA*, SD, TN*, WI
Western National Insurance Group writes commercial lines in the following states:
AK, IA, ID, IL, MI**, MN, MT, ND, NV, NY**, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI
Western National Insurance Group writes surety in the following states:
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY
Together, our companies have a combined direct written premium of over $1 billion and total assets of over $2 billion.
*AFIC only
**Michigan Millers only
THE POWER OF NICE
In everything that we do for our policyholders, our trusted Independent Agent partners, our employees, and our community, we know that delivering a genuinely friendly, responsive, and helpful interaction makes for a better experience for everyone involved.
That’s the power of “nice”. And, at Western National, nice is something we work to bring to every person and organization with whom we partner or serve.
Nice is saying “good morning” and asking “how are you”. Nice is providing extra detail so you better understand the next steps in your claim process. Nice is the peace of mind that comes from knowing you can trust the person on the other end of the call.
Nice is sincere. Nice has your back and shows up for you when you need it the most. Nice is a little word that does big things for everyone. From the customer experiences we provide to the relationships we foster with our policyholders, agency partners, and employees, nice is our whole deal. And don’t we all deserve a little more nice in our lives?
At Western National Insurance, nice is what’s guided us for over 100 years. And we’re just getting started.
FINANCIALS
We're proud to back our insurance products with outstanding financial stability, which is evident in our strong balance sheet, our Superior (A+) financial rating from A.M. Best, and our recognition as a member of the Ward's Top 50 Benchmark Group for Property-and-Casualty Companies. This exceptional level of stability ensures that, even in the worst of disasters, we'll be able to continue providing for your specific insurance needs.
To view our quarterly Statement of Condition, click here.
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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
At Western National, being "The Relationship Company®" means that, beyond maintaining strong relationships with our customers, we're continually working to reinforce the strength, health, and safety of the communities in which we work and live. Whether it's volunteering to distribute back-to-school supplies or holiday toys to underprivileged children, helping families in need build new homes, helping fund shelters for victims of abuse, or being socially responsible with our investments, our commitment to community is an integral part of the way we do business.
Socially Responsible Investments
At Western National, we are deeply committed to incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into our overall investment strategy. We believe that responsible and sustainable business practices are not only essential for the well-being of the world around us but also integral to our long-term business success. Western National has dedicated over $100 million to highly rated ESG-qualified investments, reflecting our shared commitment to creating a positive impact on the communities in which we live and work while delivering value to our policyholders.
Over $100 million invested in ESG-qualified investments, including:
Charitable Contributions
Our charitable giving program supports well-run, tax-deductible organizations in communities in which we do business. These nonprofits are nominated by our employees, and they aim to improve the lives of people in need of food, shelter, or clothing or who find themselves in situations where meeting the basic necessities of life is difficult. A few of the organizations where we focus our support include Habitat for Humanity, Cornerstone, Bridging, and Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP).
In 2023, Western National donated to over 90 charitable organizations.
Driving Away Hunger Program
In 2012, Western National introduced a commitment to donate at least one brand-new vehicle each year to VEAP's transportation fleet. This program, called Driving Away Hunger, enables VEAP to provide transportation from its food shelf and to provide rides to limited-income seniors and individuals with disabilities who are unable to transport themselves to medical appointments, grocery shopping trips, and visits to hospitals or nursing homes.
Volunteerism
Our commitment to community involves more than simply direct financial support; Western National strongly encourages employees to volunteer their time to organizations and events that help those in need. In the recent past, employees have represented Western National by packing food with Feed My Starving Children, working with Habitat for Humanity to build new homes, and helping with Cornerstone's Santa Shop, to name a few. Our sponsorships, fund-matching, and eight hours of paid volunteer time make it easy for Western National employees to make a difference in the community.
Scholarship Program
At Western National, we think it’s important to ensure the leaders of tomorrow get the strong education they need today. That’s why, in 2008, Western National introduced a scholarship program designed to ease the financial burden that college costs put on the families of our employees and independent agency partners. The Western National Insurance Scholarship Program provides $3,000 in merit-based scholarships to eight eligible students who are beginning or continuing full-time undergraduate study in the fall of that year.