Acuity Insurance

ACUITY Insurance
Formerly called
 Mutual Auto Insurance Company
Mutual Auto of Wisconsin
Heritage Mutual Insurance
Industry Insurance
Founded 1925
Headquarters 2800 South Taylor Drive
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Area served
 United States (23 states)
Key people

Ben Salzmann (President & CEO)

John R. Holden (Former President & CEO)
$126,122,972 (2013)
Total assets $3,088,000 (2013)
Number of employees
 963 (2013)
Website www.acuity.com

Acuity Insurance is an insurance company with headquarters in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The company's website claims that it is the 80th largest insurer in the United States.

Acuity flagpole, 2006-2008 on the south side of Acuity's corporate campus. The current flagpole is placed on the north side of the campus near an artificial lake.
Current Acuity flagpole from Taylor Park in Sheboygan, 1.7 miles (2.7 km) north-northeast of the Acuity campus.

Current business performance

ACUITY operates in 22 states, generates over $1 billion in revenue through 1,000 independent agencies, manages nearly $3 billion in assets, and employs over 950 people. ACUITY is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best and also receives an A+ rating from Standard and Poor's.[1]

Company history

The company began as the Mutual Auto Insurance Company of the Town of Herman in 1925 (in the unincorporated village of Franklin in Sheboygan County). The name was changed to Mutual Auto of Wisconsin in 1953, and Heritage Mutual Insurance Company in 1957. The company moved to the city of Sheboygan in 1960, and shortly thereafter came under the presidency of attorney John R. Holden, under whom the company thrived--it moved to its current location in 1984. Holden retired from the presidency in August of 1999, and the company became known as ACUITY Insurance in 2001 in an attempt to distance itself from its roots.

The company opened a $39 million addition to its headquarters in 2004. The addition added 262,000 square feet (24,300 m²) to the facility and renovated about 20,000 square feet (2,000 m²) of space.

Awards

ACUITY was named the Best Mid-Size Company to work for in the United States in 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 by Great Place to Work Institute and is the only company in the nation to be named ten consecutive years to the Great Place to Work Institute's top five mid-sized companies. ACUITY is recognized as one of Ward, Inc.'s Top 50 best-run insurers for 14 consecutive years. ACUITY has been named to the InformationWeek 500 list of most innovative technology companies for ten consecutive years.ACUITY was awarded the 2001 National Company Award of Excellence by the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents.[2]

Flag

ACUITY raised the tallest flagpole in the United States on July 2, 2005. The steel pole was 338 feet (103 m) high, 6 feet (1.8 m) wide at the base, weighed 65 tons (without the flag), and was sunk into a 550-ton block of concrete that was 40 feet (12 m) deep, 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and reinforced by steel rods. The flag was 120 feet (37 m) by 60 feet (18 m), or 7,200 square feet (670 m²). Each star was 3 feet (0.91 m) high and each stripe was 4½ feet wide. It weighed 300 pounds.[3] This flag and flagpole outdid an earlier Acuity record, a flag raised June 2, 2003, atop a 150-foot (46 m) flagpole. Oddly enough, the new flagpole was actually a replacement; the old pole toppled over due to stress and high winds, falling away from nearby Interstate 43. The new flagpole was designed with extra bracing and placed much farther from the highway.[4] A powered hoist raises the flag at 80 feet (24 m) per minute, regardless of wind conditions, and is synchronized so that the flag reaches the top of the pole just as the Star Spangled Banner ends. [5] On October 4, 2007 it was announced that the flag pole would yet again be rebuilt to allow access to the beacon marker on top in case of light bulb replacement. The flag was rebuilt and the top section finished on April 4, 2008. On April 7, 2008 the pole, without a flag yet flying, began swaying noticeably during relatively low wind speeds. On April 8, 2008 the ball and top section were again removed, followed by a full removal of the pole.

In April 2014, Acuity announced another attempt at the nation's largest flagpole to be erected by that year's Fourth of July, this time with a 400 feet (120 m) pole built by Manitowoc wind turbine manufacturer Broadwind Energy. The flag to be hoisted will measure 120 feet (37 m)x60 feet (18 m), with an LED lighting system designed to be visible from Cedar Grove 11 miles (18 km) south and much heavier reinforcement of the pole structure. The new flag pole stands 400 feet (120 m) tall. A 120 feet (37 m) by 60 feet (18 m) flag was raised for the first time on May 22, 2014. The pole has a concrete base spanning 11 feet (3.4 m) wide at the bottom.[6]

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "Purchase acquisition involves three area banks". Tomah Journal. November 3, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  2. ↑ "Acuity Named Best Mid Sized Company for Which to Work". National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. July 7, 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  3. ↑ LaRose, Eric (2005-04-02). "Acuity raises Old Glory Atop tallest flagpole in the nation". The Sheboygan Press.
  4. ↑ "Acuity Raises Largest Symbol of Freedom in Wisconsin". Acuity.
  5. ↑ "Stars And Bars". Associated Construction Publications.
  6. ↑ Theil, Kali (4 April 2014). "Standing tall: Acuity to raise record-setting 400-foot flagpole". The Sheboygan Press. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

External links