Gnade Insurance Group, Inc. Employee Receives Award

West Bend Mutual Insurance Company recently presented its Spirit of the Silver Lining Award to Jim Smith, President of Commercial Lines for Gnade Insurance Group, Inc. The award honors West Bend agents and the nonprofit organizations they support for their dedication to delivering a silver lining to those in need.

Smith was presented the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award for his involvement with Midwest BBQ for the Brave. In 2012, Smith and his wife Gayla hosted the first of what is now an annual BBQ that raises money for catastrophically injured service members. The BBQ raises money to support the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which builds specially adapted, custom designed, mortgage-free smart homes for catastrophically injured service members returning home. Additionally, as part of the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award, West Bend donated a $10,000 grant to the organization.

"We are thrilled to bring recognition to the Midwest BBQ for the Brave and grateful to receive this generous grant from West Bend Mutual Insurance,” said Smith. “This grant will allow us to continue to offer our support and provide more tailored smart homes to more service members in need of assistance.”

“At West Bend, we have a proud tradition of giving back to the communities in which we do business,” said Kevin Steiner, president and CEO of West Bend. “The Spirit of the Silver Lining Award is a unique program that allows us to express our gratitude to our agent partners on whom we rely to identify the causes that matter most in our communities.”

Since 2006, West Bend has awarded more than $1.2 million in grants for sustaining support, special projects, or capital projects to nonprofit organizations representing a broad field of interests, including, but not limited to: arts and culture; education; the environment; family, youth, and elderly; health and human services; medical research; and community development. Grants are made to organizations within West Bend’s core geographic operating territory that includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota.

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About West Bend Mutual Insurance

Founded in 1894, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company is headquartered in West Bend, Wisconsin, and provides property/casualty insurance products throughout the Midwest. The company offers a broad personal lines coverage package, a full range of commercial products and services, insurance for specialty lines, and a surety division. West Bend employs more than 1,200 associates and is represented by approximately 1,300 independent insurance agencies throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, and Nebraska and has grown to more than $1.5 billion in assets and more than $1 billion in annual revenue. The company has been rated A (Excellent) or better by A.M. Best since 1971.