American Family Insurance recognized again as a leader in sustainability

The Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council has again named American Family Insurance as a Green Master company. American Family was one of 33 companies in the state recognized as leading the way in sustainability. 162 companies participated in the program this year.

This is the fourth year American Family Insurance has received this honor.

American Family is among a select group of sustainability leaders who made huge improvements and rose to the top of the ranks in the program. To even be eligible to apply, companies need to take at least one action in each of nine areas that the program assesses: energy, carbon and other emissions, water, waste management, transportation, supply chain, community and educational outreach, workforce and governance.

“We are extremely proud of this honor,” says Nyra Jordan, business and workplace solutions shared services director.

“The goal of this award isn’t just to recognize how American Family is a leader creating a positive environmental impact,” says Jordan. “It helps us benchmark our efforts and compare what we’re doing with other companies across the state.”
Mark Pauls, Kris Canto, Wayne Rayfield, Beth Churchill, Tom Eggert, Austin Daugherty, Maggie Becker and Sean Hyland

The environment is one of three focus areas for American Family’s corporate responsibility program. This includes implementing ways to reduce the company’s environmental footprint, and integrating sustainability principles and practices across its operating territory.

“Setting specific and measurable goals is one of the most important and beneficial things companies can do to ensure sustainability success,” says Kevin Banas, Director of the Green Masters Program. “American Family is a prime example of such successes. While remaining dedicated to their goals, they not only improve the people and communities around them, but they improve their business as a whole.”

As part of this focus, in 2017, the company completed the largest solar installation in the State of Wisconsin on the rooftop of the company’s Madison, Wisconsin headquarters. The array will produce about 1.26 million kilowatt hours annually, offsetting six to nine percent of the building’s electrical usage and saving approximately $191,000 per year. In addition, the installation is expected to offset approximately 1.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas annually and 51 million pounds of CO2 during its 30-year service life.

In addition, American Family is pursuing its second and third Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification for two different buildings in the Madison area. One is for a major remodel and another is for a new eight-story building under construction in the Capital East district of downtown Madison. Many of the efforts made towards the LEED goals helped contribute to this year’s Green Masters ranking.

In terms of the workforce, in July of 2017, the company raised its minimum hourly rate to $15 per hour in all 19 operating states. And for the third consecutive year, American Family Insurance earned a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

When it comes to community outreach - the company invested in communities through its employees by establishing a matching grant program through the Dreams Foundation. Between 2016-2017, employees and agents have submitted more than 3,800 requests, leading to more than $1.4 million dollars in matching funds. In addition, the Dreams Foundation has awarded more than 155 grants, totaling over $ 2.6 million dollars to communities across our operating territory.

The Green Masters Program is a free, points-based recognition and assessment program that enables Wisconsin businesses of all sizes and from all sectors to receive recognition for sustainability efforts.

About American Family Insurance
Madison, Wisconsin-based American Family Insurance group, celebrating its 90^th anniversary in 2017, is the nation's 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group and ranks No. 315 on the Fortune 500 list. The company sells American Family-brand products, including auto, homeowners, life, business and farm/ranch insurance, primarily through its exclusive agents in 19 states. American Family affiliates (The General and Homesite) also provide options for consumers who want to manage their insurance matters directly over the Internet or by phone. Web www.amfam.com; Facebook www.facebook.com/amfam; Twitter www.twitter.com/amfam.

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