As we pause this year to celebrate our centennial, we remain grateful for our long-term partnership with the Ohio Farm Bureau.
A message from Kirt Walker, CEO, Nationwide
Nationwide was formed when a group of Ohio farmers came together to get a fair price for auto insurance.
The company they founded, Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, was formed on April 14, 1926 — 100 years ago this year.
And, while we’re proud of the company we’ve become — we’ve grown into a Fortune 100 company that offers protection for much more than automobiles, including protecting families and their financial futures all across America — we’re just as proud of our heritage with the Ohio Farm Bureau.
In the photo, you can see Lee Palmer, left, the first president of Farm Bureau Mutual, Murray Lincoln, right, Executive Secretary and future Nationwide CEO, and Ezra Anstaett, seated, the company’s first general agent. They are signing the first policy sold for what we know today as Nationwide.
To me, the amazing part of this photo is they had the foresight to take this picture in the first place! Remember, this is 1926. Taking a picture was not easy. It would have been scheduled
and planned.
Clearly, these men wanted this moment to be captured. Why? I believe it’s because they knew they were creating something special. Today, just one-half of 1% of companies celebrate 100 years in existence. It’s not easy to do. And I believe the reason Nationwide still exists today is because of our beginnings.
It’s no accident that we believe strongly in cooperative principles. Or that we believe our protection extends to the communities where we live and work through volunteerism and philanthropy. We learned these things from our heritage with the Ohio Farm Bureau.
Today, we’re proud to be one of the few companies that has made it 100 years in business. And we’re just getting started. For Nationwide, this isn’t the finish line — it’s the start of our next 100 years.
As we pause this year to celebrate our centennial, we remain grateful for our long-term partnership with the Ohio Farm Bureau. The future looks bright for Nationwide because we know our past informs our future.
Eligible farm and ranch families have the opportunity to share their story for a chance to receive a custom handcrafted barn quilt recognizing their century operation. Enter by Jan. 31, 2027.
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