You’re not the first person to wonder what a mutual insurance company is. Which is why we’ve assembled a list of frequently asked questions—and answers. Quickly get the information you need. Can’t find the information you’re looking for? Contact us and one of our associates will be happy to help.
As a mutual company, Sentry isn’t owned by shareholders—we’re owned by our policyholders. This means that we don’t make business decisions based solely on quarterly profits or investor returns. And our financial wellbeing isn’t subject to the whims of the stock market. The members of our board of directors are elected by policyholders and the board guides business decisions to benefit and provide the best possible service to our policyholders. Read more about Sentry's history as a mutual company.
We offer commercial insurance from general liability policies to business auto coverages and cyber protection. Learn more about our offerings. We also sell motorcycle and nonstandard auto insurance through our Dairyland brand, and insurance for horticulture-related businesses through our Hortica brand.
We got our start in 1904, when members of the Wisconsin Retail Hardware Association formed their own mutual insurance company. For more than 110 years, we’ve been providing insurance solutions for business. Learn more about our history.
We’re headquartered in beautiful Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Our operation is supported by offices across the country.
We’re supported by the hard work of more than 4,200 associates, including 2,000 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Interested in joining us? Learn more about working at Sentry.
It depends. We serve different industries in different ways. Learn more about who we serve and our product offerings. When you’re ready to learn more, let’s talk.
Yes, we do. Although we got our start insuring hardware stores, we’ve grown a lot since 1904. Today, in addition to a variety of business insurance solutions, we offer:
Yes, we affiliated with Florists' Mutual Insurance Company in 2015. Under the brand name Hortica, we provide insurance solutions to garden centers, greenhouses, nurseries, florists, and landscapers.
That’s a great question. We’re proud of our financial stability and A+ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best, the industry’s leading rating authority (A.M. Best rating as of 5/19/2016). As of Dec. 2016, we have a $4.7 billion surplus, meaning we have the ability to pay out claims, even large multi-million dollar claims. We make a powerful promise to our policyholders—to be there when they need us. Our financial stability and solvency makes that promise possible.
We work with our policyholders to help prevent claims by identifying risks and helping to establish policies and procedures that promote safety. Learn more about our Safety Services team.
Probably. We insure a variety of businesses, from small family-owned operations to large national companies with thousands of employees. What all our customers have in common is a commitment to their business, their employees, and safety. We like to build strong relationships with businesses who have solid plans for the future. Learn more about the industries we serve.
A business insurance policy from Sentry can protect your company’s physical location (office, warehouse, etc.) and assets (fleet vehicles, equipment, technology, etc.). We can also help protect your business from employee-related losses or lawsuits and losses related to your services and regular business operations. You’ve worked hard to build your business; we can help protect it. Learn more about what business insurance can do for you.
Whether your business owns or leases property, business property coverage can help prevent interruptions to business should your location be damaged and temporarily unavailable to continue operations. In addition, a business property policy protects all property owned by your business—equipment, furniture, sales inventory—from losses due to theft, fire, and more. Learn about what business property insurance can do for you.
Yes. We offer a number of different life insurance policies, from term and whole life to key employee life insurance for businesses. Learn more about our life insurance policies.
Many states require that employers obtain workers’ compensation coverage, but the rules vary greatly by state. Check the regulations in any states where you employ people to determine what your workers’ compensation obligations are. For quick reference, see this state-by-state overview of workers’ compensation laws.
Regardless of the workers’ compensation laws affecting your business, we can help protect your employees and your business from losses due to employee injury, unemployment claims, and more. Learn more about our protection for employers.
In many businesses there are employees whose roles or contributions are critical to operations—members of the leadership team, top sales staff, and owners who perform tasks or bring in business that’s essential to company operations. Key person coverage protects your business from losses should you lose one of your essential employees. Learn more about our key person protection.
We’re glad you asked. Insurance is designed to be there when something out of your control—an accident or disaster—happens. But there are plenty of steps you can take each day to make your business safer and reduce the risks that can lead to claims. You have the power to implement standards and procedures that improve safety and protect your bottom line. And we want to work with you to help. Learn more about what you can do to protect your business.
At Sentry, we don’t just insure against accidents, we help our customers plan for the future. As an owner, we can help protect your family with a life insurance policy. We can also help you plan for retirement. You’ve worked so hard to build your business, investing a great deal of time and equity. Learn more about planning for your future.
Yes. And we’re so glad you asked because we’re passionate about reducing risk. There are lots of actions you can take to improve safety in your workplace and foster a culture of safety within your organization. From identifying hazards to establishing procedures, we can help. Our 101 Guide to make my business safer is a great place to start. You can also learn more about our safety services team and access dozens of safety resources.
A safe employee is a happy employee. From safety training to workplace wellness, we can help you protect your most valuable asset—your employees. Learn more about how we can help protect your employees.
To file a claim, please call us at 800-4-SENTRY (800-473-6879). Our claims staff are available to take your calls 24/7.
When you are ready to file a claim, we’ll need some basic information to help us prepare your claim report. We’ll need to know your contact information, employer information (if applicable), and whether you’re our business customer or a third-party claimant. We will also need to know basic information about the accident or incident. For claims that involve injury, we will need to know medical provider details, along with whether or not the claim is workers’ compensation-related. We’ll also ask for personal information regarding any involved parties, persons, or witnesses.
Yes. Our claims office locations include:
In most cases, yes. We believe there is significant value in having one claims associate handle a case from beginning to end. However, we also believe it’s important to match the case to the talent, so if the severity or complexity of a claim unexpectedly develops, we will reassign the claim to another member of the claims team who specializes in severe or complex case management.
Absolutely. Insurance fraud impacts everyone by driving up insurance premiums. Our Special Investigation Unit evaluates and pursues suspected fraudulent insurance claims.
