Acuity Insurance

ImageStackRight|310

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. [ [https://www.acuity.com/webpics.nsf/pics/acuityfacts/$file/acuityfacts.pdf Acuity Facts sheet] , Acuity Insurance, June 2, 2006.]

Current business performance

Acuity operates in 15 states, uses 750 independent agencies to write over $810 million in premiums through 750 independent agencies, manages over $2 billion in assets, and employs 850 people. [cite web |url=http://www.tomahjournal.com/articles/2006/11/03/news/01banks.txt |title=Purchase acquisition involves three area banks |accessdate=2007-05-03 |date=November 3, 2006 |work=Tomah Journal]

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 to its current location in 1984. The company became know as Acuity Insurance in 2001.

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 plus about 20,000 square feet (2,000 m²) of renovated space. The campus now features a fitness center, executive office areas, and a commercial kitchen with a dining area for Acuity's 3,000 employees. [cite web |url=http://www.wibuilder.com/tp-2004/tee-time.html |title=TEE Time: Acuity team slices its schedule for event |accessdate=2007-05-03 |author=Brendan O'Brien |work=Wisconsin Builder]

Awards

Acuity was named the 2004 Best Mid-Size Company to work for in the United States in 2004 by the The Great Place to Work Institute and the Society for Human Resources Management. Acuity was awarded the 2001 National Company Award of Excellence by the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. [cite web |url=http://www.pianet.com/NewsCenter/InsuranceNews/7-7-04-2.htm |title=Acuity Named Best Mid Sized Company for Which to Work |accessdate=2007-05-03 |date=July 7 2004 |work=National Association of Professional Insurance Agents]

Flag

Acuity raised the tallest flagpole in the United States on July 2 2005. The steel pole is convert|338|ft|m high, convert|6|ft|m wide at the base, weighs 65 tons (without the flag), and is sunk into a 550-ton block of concrete that is convert|40|ft|m deep, convert|8|ft|m wide and reinforced by steel rods. The flag is convert|120|ft|m by convert|60|ft|m, or 7,200 square feet (670 m²). Each star is convert|3|ft|m high and each stripe is 4 1/2 feet wide. It weighs 300 pounds. [cite news| first=Eric| last=LaRose| work=The Sheboygan Press| title=Acuity raises Old Glory Atop tallest flagpole in the nation| date=2005-04-02| url=http://www.sheboygan.lib.wi.us/pages/acuity.html] This flag and flagpole outdid an earlier Acuity record, a flag raised June 2 2003, atop a convert|150|ft|m|sing=on flagpole. Oddly enough, the new flagpole is actually a replacement; the old pole toppled over due to stress and high winds, almost falling onto nearby Interstate 43. The new flagpole is designed with extra bracing and placed much farther from the highway. [cite web| title=Acuity Raises Largest Symbol of Freedom in Wisconsin| url=https://www.acuity.com/whatsn03.nsf/pages/flag.htm| publisher=Acuity] A powered hoist raises the flag at convert|80|ft|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. [cite web| title=Stars And Bars| url=http://www.acppubs.com/article/CA6368490.html| publisher=Associated Construction Publications] 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.acuity.com Official website]
* [http://www.hoovers.com/acuity-mutual/--ID__109675--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml?cm_ven=PAID&cm_cat=INK&cm_pla=CO1&cm_ite=acuity-mutual Company overview]