COMMUNITY SERVICE

GUARD Top Christmas in July Contributor for Fifth Straight Year (2009)
GUARD employees recently donated over 18,000 pounds of food items for the Annual “Christmas in July” Drive sponsored by the United Way of Wyoming Valley.  GUARD’s participation spans 21 consecutive years and has resulted in approximately 155 tons of food being provided. Regularly a top contributor for this event, GUARD has been named the top donator per capita for five straight years. (press release)

Working to Volunteer for Society (2008)
GUARD's employees are allowed to volunteer work time with nonprofit agencies. “For us it’s part of our fabric,” said Carl Witkowski, the Chief Administrative Officer at GUARD Insurance Group. “Volunteerism is investing in your human capital, which is a company’s most valuable asset. At the same time, it strengthens the community.” (Times Leader news story)

Hurricane Katrina Relief (2005)
"Always a great corporate citizen," GUARD Insurance Group increased its Matching Gifts Program (where employees' donation dollars are matched 1:1 by the company) to 3:1 for Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts.  Within three days, $35,000 was raised. (WBRE interview)
 

CULTURE

GUARD Lot an Example of What Pride Can Accomplish (2007)
"'They paved paradise and put up a parking lot,' Joni Mitchell famously noted in 1969’s 'Big Yellow Taxi.' That’s usually the way it works . . . .  This makes what GUARD Insurance Group has done with its parking lot on Market Street in Wilkes-Barre all the more remarkable . . . .  Take a stroll . . . and you’ll see what pride of ownership, a sense of civic responsibility and love of perfectly maintained plants has achieved." (Times Leader editorial)

GUARD Receives Healthy Workplace Award (2006)
GUARD Insurance Group’s health care initiative, WellGUARD, was recently recognized by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce. The award recognized the numerous health-conscious programs GUARD has put into place since launching WellGUARD in January of 2006. More than 91 percent of the organization’s employees participate and enjoy better health due to weight loss, smoking cessation, increased physical activity, enhanced education, and better nutrition. (press release)

Wilkes-Barre Insurer Saved $2M, Created Jobs: Company Expands; Remains Downtown (2005)
GUARD Insurance Group is headquartered in the downtown of small-town Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  Instead of following the industry trend of setting up regional centers scattered across the country, GUARD remained local and is a significant source of jobs in the community, thanks in part to the Keystone Opportunity Zone program. (Times Leader news story)

GUARD is Ranked #2 Best Place to Work in PA (2001)
"We believe employees will do their best work in an environment that is conducive to their creativity," said Robert Thomas, Communications Director for GUARD.  "Challenging jobs are the most interesting.  We've learned to take a chance on people, asking them to assume projects that extend their reach.  GUARD is still small enough that individual efforts have a large impact on our success." (Central PA Business Journal supplement; Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry press release)
 

BUSINESS

GUARD Insurance Group Recognized Among Model Carriers (2007)
Selected by Celent, Inc., an international strategy consultancy, to be included as a case study in their Model Carrier Report in January of 2007, as a part of their mission to help leading financial institutions sustain a competitive advantage.   GUARD’s Agency Service Center (ASC) was recognized for providing insurance agents and brokers with a secure, web-based means of managing their business with the company on-line. (press release)

GUARD Among Industry Technology Award Finalists (2004)
GUARD Insurance Group was recognized as a finalist for the 2004 A.M. Best E-Fusion Awards, a national program highlighting innovative uses of technology to address insurance business challenges. Susan W. Shoval, CPCU, President of GUARD Insurance Group, said, “Our E-Fusion achievement also recognizes that a northeastern Pennsylvania-based company can produce world-class technology that competes against large, national organizations. The list of E-Fusion competitors was a who’s who of our industry.”  (press release)

Governor Ridge Cuts Ribbon on GUARD Growth (1999)
"GUARD Insurance Group is helping to build the New Economy in Pennsylvania," said Governor Ridge.  "Since its first modest footsteps in 1983, GUARD has taken giant strides toward the future.  Their dedication to quality and growth has set an example to make all Pennsylvanians proud." (Pennsylvania Office of the Governor press release; Citzens' Voice news story; Times Leader news story)