Acuity earns recognition from Forbes and Deloitte Wisconsin 75, plus more Sheboygan news in your weekly dose
SHEBOYGAN - Sheboygan-based Acuity Insurance has announced a pair of recent recognitions.
First, the company was recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Insurance Companies 2023.
“America’s Best Insurance Companies 2023 were identified in an independent survey based on a sample of over 15,000 U.S. citizens with at least one insurance policy," Acuity said in a news release. "The survey considered customers’ overall satisfaction in the categories of financial advice, customer service, price/performance, transparency, digital services, damage/benefit, and whether they would recommend the company to friends and family. The title America’s Best Insurance Companies 2023 reinforces Acuity’s reputation and reflects how both peers and customers perceive the company.”
Out of thousands of insurers that write personal lines coverage, Acuity was ranked 13th in the nation among homeowner insurers and 23rd in the nation among personal auto insurers.
Second, Acuity was named to the Deloitte Wisconsin 75, the annual program honoring the state’s largest closely held firms for their impact on Wisconsin’s economy. In Acuity’s 16th year on the list, the insurer is ranked No. 21, up from 22 in 2021.
Acuity insures more than 125,000 businesses, including 300,000 commercial vehicles, and nearly a half million homes and private passenger autos across 30 states. It employs more than 1,500 people.
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► Sheboygan music group to hold CD release concert Saturday: Sheboygan-based music group VOX will release its debut CD, “Resilient,” at a special concert Saturday.
VOX was formed in 2017 by Marie Hetzel (founder of Sheboygan Light Rail), who was looking for something different to offer audiences.
“I knew the focus had to be vocal harmony, because in my opinion there’s nothing more beautiful than two or more voices forming a chord,” she said. “It goes right to my core.”
Brittany Savaglio and Stephanie Stowers — who both hold music degrees from Lakeland University — were the perfect choice, as they shared the same dream.
The group describes its genre as “world music.” They explore culture through the realms of folk, rock, pop, blues and gospel.
“If you come to one of our concerts, you’ll hear everything from Leadbelly to Adele to Fleet Foxes to Pink Floyd to a medieval folk song,” Hetzel said. “The common denominator is harmony.”
The three women are joined by instrumentalists Simon Ulrich, who plays guitar, keyboard, djembe, bass and cello, and Tammie Butzen, who plays guitar, banjo, bass, djembe and cajon. Violinist Dan Ognavic makes a guest appearance on the new CD.
“Resilient” was recorded in Hetzel’s home studio and mixed and mastered by Ulrich, a senior music major at Lakeland University.
The CD release concert will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at First Congregational UCC, 310 Bluff Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The concert is free, although tips are appreciated to help cover production costs. Refreshments will be available afterward. CDs and T-shirts will be available for purchase.
► Old Wisconsin VP, GM featured in Chamber ‘Executive Series’ Oct. 20: The next in Sheboygan County Chamber’s “Executive Series” will feature Old Wisconsin Vice President and General Manager Steven Harrison talking about “Culture in the Workplace.”
The event will be at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 20 at Pine Hills Country Club, 4914 Superior Ave., Sheboygan. Admission is $25 for Chamber members or $35 for non-members. People can register online or by calling the Chamber at 920-457-9491.
According to a news release, Harrison “will lead a discussion on ‘Culture in the Workplace’ and how it has helped shape Old Wisconsin Sausage for 75 years.
“Steve has been with Old Wisconsin Sausage Company for over four decades. He was born and raised in Sheboygan County and has made an impressionable impact on both the organization and many local nonprofit organizations by serving on boards of directors or donating his time to events. As he sets his sights on retirement, Steve is mindful of the company culture that has been built at Old Wisconsin through the years, most importantly focusing on the strong foundation the company has built in this community. His experiences in leading an exponentially growing company, while maintaining tradition, have led to this presentation on ‘Culture in the Workplace.’”
► TDS expands high-speed, all-fiber internet network in Sheboygan County: TDS Telecommunications LLC plans to bring its high-speed, all-fiber internet network to Sheboygan County, the company said in a news release.
According to the release, when work is complete, more than 25,000 homes and businesses in Sheboygan County will have access to TDS’s network, which will include the communities of Sheboygan, Sheboygan Falls, Plymouth and Kohler.
Construction is expected to begin this month.
The TDS network will feature up to 2Gig internet download and upload speeds. In addition, residents will have a new choice for TV service and phone options, the release said.
Founded in 1969 in Madison, TDS said it is building fiber networks in nearly every corner of the state with the recent announcement of projects in 18 communities across Wisconsin.
► Girls’ STEM Conference coming in November; registration deadline Oct. 28: The Sheboygan Branch of the American Association of University Women is sponsoring its fifth Girls’ STEM Conference for sixth- to ninth-grade girls on Nov. 5 at Sheboygan South High School, 1240 Washington Ave.
The event will run from 8 a.m. to noon. Girls can choose three of 11 45-minute hands-on workshops that will be limited to eight girls per session.
Workshops are Robotic Surgery, Chem Demons, Crime Scene Investigation, The Science of Color, Architecture — Designed Awareness, Beaded Binary Bracelet Boutique, A Look Inside the Bovine Hide, Hydroponics, Beginner’s Graphic Design, Flowers and Fragrances, and Sensory of Slices.
Kathryn Clouse, Kohler Co. kitchen and bath products innovation program director, is the keynote speaker.
Registration is $10 — which includes workshops and supplies — and is due by Oct. 28.
To register or for more information, call 920-458-5819.
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This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Forbes' America's Best Insurance Companies includes Sheboygan's Acuity
