Company Profile
Western National Insurance
Company Overview
Western National Insurance Group is a private mutual insurance company with 115 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 which will continue to do so 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.
Company History
1900
Mutual Creamery and Cheese Factory Fire Insurance Company of Minnesota is formed in St. Paul, Minn. to insure against loss or damage by fire to creamery and cheese cooperative association members' commercial buildings, products, machinery, and supplies. Premium writings are $263,079 and Assets are $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 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 and acquisitions expands the Group's presence to eight active insurance companies and more than 25 states of operation. New members of the Group include American Freedom Insurance Company (Arlington Heights, Ill.), Arizona Automobile Insurance Company (Phoenix, Ariz.), Legacy Insurance Services (a General Agency in Phoenix, Ariz.), Nevada General Insurance Company (Las Vegas, Nev.), Pioneer Specialty Insurance Company (Edina, Minn.), Umialik Insurance Company (Anchorage, Alaska), and Western Home Insurance Company (Edina, Minn.). In early 2015, Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company (Lansing, Mich.) became 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 Midwestern, Northwestern, and Southwestern U.S. 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!