Westfield named one of North America's Top Small to Mid-size Companies for Leaders

Westfield Group has been named one of North America's Top Small to Mid-size Companies for Leaders by Hewitt Associates. Westfield is one of three North American companies to receive the award.

Hewitt Associates conducted the leadership study in partnership with The RBL Group and FORTUNE magazine and selected the Top Companies for Leaders through an independent panel of judges. Companies were evaluated on criteria including leadership practices, company reputation, leadership culture and values and business performance.

Westfield's leadership development and succession planning programs, implemented during the last six years, incorporate personal employee development plans into the everyday operations of the businesses. These programs allow Westfield Group to devote resources, including time with senior level executives, to employees who demonstrate potential for future corporate leadership.

Ohio Big 'I' Eagle Award

The Independent Insurance Agents of Ohio (Ohio Big 'I') presented Westfield with the highest company award, the Eagle Award.  The Eagle Award was created in 2006 to single out one of its company friends for their commitment to the values, sound principles and correct practices to our industry, the independent insurance agent and the American Agency System. 

Westfield was chosen most notably for their enthusiastic support as a Trusted Choice company, for being a driving force with the emerging InVEST program (industry organization that introduces students to career opportunities in insurance) and for their sponsorship support of young agents to attend the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America’s National Legislative conference to meet with state legislators on insurance issues.

Westfield Named in the 2007 Top 10 Employers in Ohio

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce named Westfield Group in the top 10 employers in Ohio in 2007.  Westfield's commitment to employee satisfaction and community investment has opened opportunities to be recognized as a trusted partner and premier employer. The award aligns with our corporate goal to attract, develop, empower and retain quality people.

The award was based on four main criteria including compensation and benefits, people practices, communications practices and corporate citizenship. Some of our most notable achievements include the Westfield Excellence program, our employee newsletters, and our support for employee community involvement, such as Habitat for Humanity and our employee grant program. Additionally, we were recognized for our dedication to fitness and wellness with the Inn Club and our programs for retirees.  

Westfield was in the category of large business, which includes companies with 250 employees or more.  

2007 ACORD Innovative Implementation & External Integration Business Value Awards

ACORD recently presented Westfield Insurance with two awards recognizing the company's remote automated personal lines book transfer process on May, 20, 2007 at the ACORD LOMA national conference.

The ACORD Innovative Implementation award recognizes companies in each of the standard ACORD programs that implement XML standards in unique, exceptional and innovative ways. The External Integration Business Value award is given to companies whose XML implementations of ACORD standards have had significant impact on their business.

By leveraging technology in creative ways, Westfield created a remote automated personal lines book transfer process that fosters a significant decrease in internal resource requirements and travel costs. A complete book of business can be transferred to Westfield without traveling to the agency and re-keying policy information online. This automated remote process requires no agent interaction.

ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) is a nonprofit association that facilitates the development and used of standards for the insurance, reinsurance and related financial services industries.

Training Top 125

Training Magazine named Westfield to their Training Top 125 because of our commitment to attract, develop, empower and retain quality people. Westfield placed 94th on the list from a pool of international organizations including Microsoft, Ikea, MasterCard Worldwide and Lockheed Martin.

Training Magazine examines the organization's annual revenue, number of employees, turnover, retention and training budget. They also review the company's overall training dedication and application in areas such as best practices, leadership development and talent management.

Westfield's dedication to training and education helps to develop positive career opportunities for employees while maintaining a knowledgeable staff for our agency partners and policyholders.

W3 Silver Award for www.westfieldinsurance.com

The W3 Awards honor creative excellence on the web, including web sites, web marketing and web advertising.  The awards are presented by the International Academy of Visual Arts and sponsored by the American Marketing Association, The Creative Group, Adweek Magazines and iStockphoto.

The W3 Awards consist of three levels of recognition: Out of the 2,300 entries, 1% receive a Best of Show, 10% receive a Gold Award and 20% receive a Silver Award.   The awards are not category-specific, so this award recognizes our web site as outstanding among all categories.

2006 Applied Systems Interface Partner Award

Westfield received this award recognizing commitment to agency-carrier communication through interface with agents and brokers who use Applied Systems agency management technology. Applied Systems, Inc., presented its 2006 Interface Partnership awards to insurance carriers judged best at advancing agency-company interface by creating interface opportunities.

E-Fusion Award Finalist

Westfield Insurance was a finalist for the A.M. Best 2006 E-Fusion Awards for our automated personal lines book of business transfer process. The E-Fusion awards recognize innovative, business-focused uses of technology by insurance companies. Westfield was nominated as a finalist in the Agent/Broker Management category.

The E-Fusion nomination recognizes the combination of this team of people with technology to make the process automated and remote. The process now requires little involvement from the agent, allowing Westfield to increase our level service and make it easier on the agent to transfer a book to us.

IMCA Awards of Excellence

The Insurance Marketing Communication Association (IMCA) presented Westfield three Awards of Excellence in 2006.  Awards were given to the corporate web site in the category of Electronic Communications, the annual report in its respective category and the new agency prospecting 1:1 card in the Audio/Visual Communications category.

NAER Best Practices Award for Employee Recognition

Westfield recently received a national award from the National Association for Employee Recognition (NAER), the only association dedicated solely to advancing recognition in all work places.  Reinforcing standards of excellence, the National Association for Employee Recognition sponsors an annual review of nominees for Best Practices in seven strategic categories: recognition strategy, management responsibility, recognition program measurement, communication plan, recognition training, recognition events and celebrations and program change and flexibility.

ACORD recognizes Westfield's leadership in commercial download

Westfield Insurance received the Industry Leadership for Improved Commercial Lines Download award from ACORD.  This award recognizes insurance companies who offer extensive commercial download based on current ACORD standards.  By successfully implementing commercial lines download based on ACORD standards, Westfield ensures that agents will spend less time entering data into their agency management system, saving time and money for the agency.  The award is given to only a few select companies that show leadership in adopting standards.

Training and Development Leadership Award

The Nance College of Business Administration at Cleveland State University and the Rotary of Cleveland initiated the Business Leadership Awards Program in 1997 to provide recognition for outstanding leadership in five areas:  global business, entrepreneurship, quality service, training and employee development, and community service. Westfield won the Training and Development Leadership Award; co-sponsored by Greater Cleveland Chapter, American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).

Westfield was recognized for extensive employee training and development program that starts with the orientation program, Performance Management and corporate policies.  Performance Management was recognized for its ability to provide alignment between Westfield's corporate vision and the employee performance.  In addition to the foundations of performance management, we were recognized for our focus on employee development that includes the use of feedback, coaching and development plans.

Showalter Group's Political Involvement Award

Westfield recently won the Showalter Group's Political Involvement Award in the category of Grassroots for the Legislative Lightning Program.  The Showalter Group, Inc. conducts one of the nation's longest running and most comprehensive programs of assessment of political involvement program innovations. 

Legislative Lightning was created to give quick hits of political information in a lively, interactive format that crossed all department lines.  These meetings present topics that are likely to affect and impact the way we do business.

Best of the Healthy 50 Award

HealthSpace Cleveland honored Westfield for its dedication to employee health and wellness.  To honor forward thinking companies and to promote health and wellness in the workplace, HealthSpace Cleveland developed Healthy 50.  Within the Healthy 50 organizations, HealthSpace chooses three organizations who lead the industry in wellness programming.  Westfield Group is one of five organizations being considered for the Best of the Healthy 50 Award.

2006 Webby Award Nomination

The Webby Awards, called the "Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times, nominated Westfield's corporate web site for the Best Insurance Web Site of 2006. Westfield is one of five insurance companies chosen for this category by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.

Community Champion Award

At a Habitat for Humanity of Medina County fund raiser, Westfield received Community Champion award, which is given to  a sponsor of company that goes 'over and above the norm' to support Habitat.

Westfield was presented the Community Champion Award for generous grants providing equipment and labor to landscape each home.  In Medina County, Westfield has helped Habitat build five homes. Westfield was also recognized for allowing employees to volunteer and assist with the labor.

2006 Innovation in Sales and Technology Award

Westfield Insurance was recognized by the American Insurance Marketing and Sales (AIMS) Society as the 2006 Innovation in Sales and Technology award winner.  Recognizing the need to enhance sales through technology within the automated agency environment, the AIMS Society developed an award to recognize the carrier, vendor or agency that demonstrates a commitment to technology that enhances the insurance sales process.

Invest in the Best award

Westfield received the Invest in the Best award in recognition of achieving excellence in employee training and leadership development. The award, sponsored by Cuyahoga Community College's Corporate College and American Society for Training and Development, was created to be the gold standard for effective employee and leadership development programs.

S.H.A.R.E. award

Westfield is the proud recipient of the 2005 S.H.A.R.E. award, part of the Pillar Award for Community Service program and presented by Medical Mutual of Ohio and Smart Business magazine. Each year, one S.H.A.R.E. award is presented to the company that best exemplifies employee-driven community service, philanthropy or volunteerism. Named after Medical Mutual's employee volunteer committee, the award stands for serve, help, aid, reach and educate.

Friends of Big Brothers/Big Sisters award

Big Brothers and Sisters of Summit and Medina County presented Westfield with the Friends of Big Brothers/Big Sisters award for Westfield Circle Charitable committee's donation to the non-profit organization. The committee raised more than $3,500 during its annual basket raffle held this summer in Smucker Hall.

AFP Corporate Leadership award

Westfield Group received the Corporate Leadership award sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) North Central Ohio Chapter, honoring outstanding contributions to philanthropic efforts throughout the region. 

Westfield is the local sponsor of Academic Challenge, an Emmy award-winning television show that highlights scholastic achievement by area high school students.

Westfield employees are actively involved in the community as volunteers to Habitat for Humanity. Through its community investment program, Westfield has donated more than $250,000 to the American Red Cross in support of hurricane relief efforts. Westfield is the largest private contributor to Medina County University Center, an initiative with The University of Akron that will bring a campus for post-secondary education to Medina County.

Applied's Ease of Doing Business award

Applied Systems, Inc. presented Westfield Insurance with a 2005 Ease of Doing Business Award in both commercial and personal lines, recognizing insurance companies that make it easy for agents to conduct business through agency-company interface. Westfield was one of only sixteen companies judged best at providing standardized workflows for managing sales and service directly from their Applied management systems.

Westfield honored as "Pillar" in community

In November 2004, Westfield Group received the Pillar Award for Community Service, acknowledging the Company’s commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism. The Pillar Award was developed by Smart Business magazine and Medical Mutual of Ohio to honor businesses dedicated to making northeast Ohio a better place to live.