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Church Mutual leads the state in innovation
MERRILL, Wis. - Church Mutual Insurance Company™ has been named a Distinguished Performer in the innovation category by Deloitte US as well as a Wisconsin 75 top private company for the fourth consecutive year.
The annual Wisconsin 75 ranking and recognition program showcases the economic contributions of the state’s largest privately held companies. Church Mutual’s leaders are extremely proud of the company’s role as an innovation engine, but it’s not something new for the organization.
“Our commitment to innovation has kept us strong and relevant for 123 years,” said Rich Poirier, president and CEO. “Innovation is what will keep us moving forward well into the future.”
Church Mutual has introduced a number of innovative programs designed to protect its policyholders. It was first in the market to launch a water and temperature sensor program for houses of worship, where buildings are not occupied daily. CM Sensor™ has saved policyholders an estimated $17 million in losses.
In response to the increased wildfires in 2017, Church Mutual disrupted the market once again with the creation of the CM Wildfire Solutions™ program. Using state-of-the-art data analytics and artificial intelligence, Church Mutual identifies policyholders’ properties that are in areas of high-risk for wildfires and then monitors wildfire activity 24/7 and alerts insureds if their property is threatened. If the fire continues to approach, a private fire-fighting service is dispatched to defend the property and mitigate losses. This can include clearing debris or applying a fire-retardant gel or foam to endangered structures. During the 2018 fire season, more than $7 million in property was saved in California, where the program was under pilot testing.
“We began by looking for opportunities to mitigate losses, which is where CM Sensor and the CM Wildfire Solutions programs came from,” said Guy Russ, assistant vice president – Risk Control. “As we matured our innovation mentality, we launched the Disruption Lab, allowing all employees the opportunity to bring forth new ideas to help grow our organization.”
The Disruption Lab runs challenges to encourage employees to share ideas that can help business. Potentially viable projects are chosen from each challenge, and teams of employees investigate the concepts in depth.
About Church Mutual
Church Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, senior living facilities, camps and conference centers, and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. Church Mutual markets most lines of commercial property and liability insurance, including multi-peril, workers' compensation and commercial auto insurance. In addition to insurance, Church Mutual provides a spectrum of value-added solutions that benefit its customers. Church Mutual holds the following honors:
- A.M. Best Company "A" (excellent) rating
- BenchmarkPortal Top 10 National Customer Service Center
- Wisconsin 75 by Deloitte US, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
- 2019 Deloitte US Distinguished Performer in the innovation category
- Futuremakers Partner, by Wisconsin Technical College System
- Celent Model Insurer for innovation and emerging technologies
- Award in Innovation for entrepreneurialism and innovation, by National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies
- 2018-2019 Employer of the Year, by Northcentral Technical College
