Madison, Wis. — Oct. 3, 2024 — Rural Mutual Insurance Company and Badger Mutual Insurance Company, with a combined 227 years of providing farm, commercial and personal policies, announce an affiliation subject to regulatory approval with an anticipated effective date in January 2025.

Rural Mutual and Badger Mutual are well-respected Wisconsin-based brands that each bring value to the affiliation, including an extensive breadth of industry knowledge, exceptional customer service, and deep community involvement. Both companies share a similar vision and culture that will support collaboration, and they will each retain their distinct brand identities. They believe this affiliation will generate long-term growth and stability for employees, agents, and policyholders.

“The opportunity to affiliate these two reputable brands for mutual growth is exciting, and we look forward to working together to increase the value of both organizations even more,” said Dan Merk, Rural Mutual Executive Vice President and CEO. “Even beyond our shared Wisconsin roots, Badger Mutual’s consistent commitment to their employees and communities make them a perfect cultural fit for us.”

Rural Mutual adds its financial strength and AM Best A+ rating, seasoned staff, local agents, and operational excellence to the relationship. Badger Mutual contributes an experienced management team and independent agents with an expanded sales footprint in six states outside of Wisconsin.

“We are excited about the opportunities this partnership brings for our policyholders, agents, and employees. Rural Mutual is a top-tier insurance brand with a strong reputation, whose values and principles are closely aligned with ours. This strategic alliance will be a significant milestone, marking a new chapter in Badger Mutual’s history,” said Dan Nigro, President & CEO of Badger Mutual. “From the outset, we felt a great synergy with the Rural Mutual team, and our entire organization is eager to embrace the growth and scale this affiliation will foster.”

Both companies will continue to maintain their existing Wisconsin headquarters with Rural Mutual in Madison and Badger Mutual in Milwaukee.

About Rural Mutual Insurance Company

Rural Mutual Insurance Company has been protecting Wisconsin for 90 years and is the state’s No. 1 writer of farm insurance and No. 4 writer of commercial insurance. As an AM Best A+ Superior company, Rural Mutual provides a full line of insurance products exclusively to farms, families, and businesses in Wisconsin. The company is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin with over 150 local agents across the state.

About Badger Mutual Insurance Company

Badger Mutual Insurance Company has been providing a range of property and casualty insurance products since 1887. The company is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is represented by over 320 local agencies across seven states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada.

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