Christensen Group and MHS Companies Employees Receive Award

WEST BEND, Wis. – West Bend Mutual Insurance Company recently presented its Spirit of the Silver Lining Award to Shawn Flavin, Senior Vice President at the Christensen Group and Tom Hokr, founding partner of MHS Companies. The award honors West Bend agents and the nonprofit organizations they support for their dedication to delivering a silver lining to those in need.

Flavin and Hokr received the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award for their support of Minnesota Military Family Foundation (MMFF). MMFF financially supports Minnesota military families with payments directly to service providers for emergency services during times of extraordinary financial hardship, particularly while the soldiers are deployed. Since 2009, Flavin has co-chaired events and actively fundraises for MMFF. Hokr is the founder and director of the MMFF Northwest Open Golf Tournament. In the five years since its inception, the golf tournament has raised over $120,000. Additionally, as part of the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award, West Bend donated a $10,000 grant to the organization, which will be used to support grants and loans for military families.

"We are thrilled to bring recognition to MMFF and grateful to receive this generous grant from West Bend,” said Flavin. Hokr added: "We are committed to supporting MMFF in their efforts to help veteran families who experience financial hardship.”

“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.