Minn. Western National Merges with Farmers Home Mutual Insurance

Western National Insurance Group (WNIG) recently announced plans to merge Western National Mutual Insurance Co. and Farmers Home Mutual Insurance Co. into a single company under the surviving name of Western National Mutual Insurance Co. Western National Mutual previously acquired control of Farmers Home Mutual in an affiliation agreement completed in June 2006.

“The June 2006 affiliation between Western National Mutual and Farmers Home Mutual has been extremely successful for both companies’ policyholders and agents,” said Stuart Henderson, president and CEO. “Over the past year, we’ve grown our premium base, diversified the areas in which we write business and gained greater economies of scale. Now, after seeing the good fit of the two companies and recognizing that there is no advantage to operating them separately, we will combine them under a single name and brand.”

The Board of Directors of both Western National Mutual and Farmers Home Mutual approved the plan of merger during meetings held on June 12 and 13 respectively. Following approval by the policyholders at special meetings scheduled for September 2007, the plan will be submitted to the Minnesota Commerce Department for final approval. WNIG anticipates the effective date of the merger to be December 31, 2007.

Western National Insurance Group currently consists of five regional property and casualty insurance companies with shared administrative offices in Edina, Minn. Western National Mutual Insurance Co. writes personal and commercial lines in Minn., Wis., S.D., N.D. and Iowa.

Source: Western National Insurance Group