Insuring the futureChrystine Elle Hanus
Frustrated by the theft of several Ford® sedans, in 1915
Alvin Alderfer gathered the community's leading citizens at Tyson's
Hotel in Harleysville, Pa., to discuss his idea of forming an
association. Like the horse-theft societies area farmers had used
for many years to spread risk among many, Alderfer proposed to form
an association to protect their cars. Each member would contribute
a small membership fee to a fund that would pay the costs of
recovering or replacing any of the members' stolen cars. The first
meeting was the beginning of what is now known as Harleysville
Mutual Insurance Co.
Nearly 100 years later, Harleysville Mutual Insurance's
territory has expanded far beyond the quiet Pennsylvania community
that shares its name, but it maintains its headquarters in the same
town where it all began.
Currently, Harleysville Mutual Insurance's network is
represented by about 1,700 employees and 1,300 agencies in 32
states. It provides a variety of insurance-related products and
services, including property, casualty and life insurance.
Continuing Alderfer's 1915 vision to protect its community, in
2008 Harleysville Mutual Insurance embarked on a journey to protect
the environment and conserve natural resources. It began upgrading
its headquarters' lighting and HVAC controls, and in 2009, the
company installed an ice storage and...
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