American Family Life Insurance

American Family Insurance was formerly Farmers Mutual Insurance Company which was founded on October 3rd 1927 by an insurance salesman Herman Wittwer in Madison, Wisconsin.  When the Farmers Insurance Company was first opened it was to sell auto insurance particularly to farmers as they drove less than city drivers so they presented a lower risk.  In 1957 it began to offer insurance for sickness and accident. Later in 1958 it began to sell homeowners insurance and entered the computer age.  In 1962 the Company began offering farm owners insurance.  As the Company expanded and offered other insurances the name was changed in 1963 to American Family Mutual Insurance Company.  Today it sells insurance to cover health, property, auto insurance, life insurance and retirement.  It also sells package insurance, farm and ranch liability, global medical insurance as well as business policy package insurance. In 2008 it had revenue of $6.742 billion USD and is still based in Madison, Wisconsin but has offices in Minnesota, Saint Joseph, Denver, Columbus, Missouri, Ohio and Colorado.

Beginning with a $10 million gift on March 4th 2003 a campaign was launched by the American Family Insurance to build the American Family Children's Hospital at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.  Donations grew by millions through employee, agent and other donations and in September 2007 the hospital was opened.  Also employees donated nearly $1 million dollars in 2007 and 2008 to United Way.  From its humble beginnings offering just auto insurance to farmers the American Family Insurance has expanded into 18 states across the U.S and companies of the American Family Insurance Group include American Standard Insurance Company, American Family Brokerage, Inc, American Family Life Insurance Company and American Family Mutual Insurance Company.  It is a Fortune 500 company and had a net income of $24.447 million USD in 2006.