Company Structure

At Central, our primary goal is to fulfill the promise to provide security, protection, and peace of mind to our customers. We have earned an industry-wide reputation for maintaining top-quality service among the best in the industry. We work hard to maintain that reputation and the key to our professional service is our people.

Our employees are dedicated professionals who follow our corporate values of Integrity, Relationships, and Excellence. They come from a variety of backgrounds and offer many skills and talents, but all share a common goal: a commitment to providing prompt, accurate, friendly, and professional service. This type of commitment must be backed by an internal structure which is streamlined and efficient enough to allow good service. We have the internal procedures in place to carry through on this commitment. Our service standards are among the toughest in the industry and provide a challenging goal to maintain. The following departments and their people allow us to meet our service goals:

Home Office
Our Home Office is located in Van Wert, Ohio, with satellite offices in Columbus, Ohio, and Salt Lake City, Utah. Below is the list of our Home Office departments. Click any of the following to view a description of that department and its reporting units.

Regional Offices
Central has regional offices in Waltham, Massachusetts; Alpharetta, Georgia; Irving, Texas; and Van Wert, Ohio. Each regional office is led by a regional vice president and manager who reports to our CEO & President Evan Purmort. Departments in each of our four regional offices include:

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Claims
Home Office Claims is responsible for establishing company claim policies as well as overseeing large property and casualty claims. They provide support for the regional claims staff as well as developing and presenting claims training classes when needed.

Workers’ Compensation Claims handles Workers’ Compensation, long-term "no fault," and medical claims. The department also handles medical cost containment and pre-certification of medical treatment.

The company’s Subrogation Unit is also in Home Office Claims and is responsible for all subrogation recoveries for Central.

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Commercial Lines Underwriting

Home Office Commercial Lines Underwriting is responsible for establishing, implementing, and monitoring the company commercial underwriting program. This function includes researching the market; developing coverage; evaluating underwriting experience; reviewing and revising rate plans; developing underwriting guides; controlling the premium audit program; conducting underwriting audits; assisting with training and education; and consulting, approving, and supporting the regional underwriting decisions.

The Underwriting Operations staff is responsible for commercial and personal lines rate, rule, and form filings and regulatory changes, compliance with Department of Insurance regulations, market conduct exam coordination, and forms management.

Home Office Loss Control sets direction and policy for the loss control consultants who are located in each regional office. Our regional loss control personnel report through the Home Office Loss Control Manager. They help reduce and control exposures and hazards that can lead to a loss by working with our policyholders on their risk control programs. In addition, they provide support to the commercial underwriting team by providing loss analysis profiles.

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Customer Services

Personal Lines Services processes personal lines policy transactions, enters loss notices for claims handlers along with services billing and payment related phone calls from policyholders and agents.

Commercial Lines Services processes commercial lines policy transactions, enters loss notices for claims handlers, and services billing and payment-related phone calls from policyholders and agents.

Extended Hours Services assists customers by covering an adjusted work schedule into the evening, processes various personal lines and commercial lines policy transactions, enters loss notices for claims handlers, and services a large volume of billing and payment phone calls from policyholders and agents.

Premium Audit orders, evaluates, and processes all premium audits for the company, inputs loss notices for claims handlers, and services phone calls from policyholders and agents.

Office Services distributes all incoming and outgoing documents and office supplies and is responsible for our in-house printing services.

Central Support provides administrative and meeting planning assistance to the company, manages the appointments of all Central agents, and coordinates agency incentive programs.

Each regional office is supported by an Office Services staff that assists them in the daily operation of the regional office.

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Finance

Within Central, the Finance area is responsible for the overall planning, analysis, and reporting-type activities and results of the company as it executes its strategy.

The Finance area encompasses several related groups including Actuarial, Analytics, Corporate Accounting, Risk Management, and an Innovation Team.

Actuarial has the important role of analyzing data and working with other company personnel to set the prices Central charges for its insurance products. They guide the decision making team concerning the loss and loss adjustment expense reserves that are included in Central's financial statements. They analyze pricing and coverage options to help the company make reinsurance purchasing decisions. Central's actuaries also forecast what the company can expect in future premium growth and financial results.

Analytics provides exceptional insights into customer segmentation, retention, and pricing in an effort to provide higher quality, better priced products to meet the needs of our policyholders. This is accomplished using the Analytics team’s advanced statistical knowledge, revolutionary software programs, and the ever-increasing amounts of available data. These tools allow the team to discern patterns and model the behaviors, associated costs, and future outcomes of our customers. The work they perform is intrinsically valuable in assisting the management team in their decision making.

Corporate Accounting oversees the preparation of internal and external operating and financial reports for state insurance departments, rating bureaus, and company management. They coordinate state financial examinations and independent audits. This department manages bank reconciliations, payroll, budgets, the expense allocation system, and accounts payable. They print all checks, make arrangements for deposits, and handle all federal, state, and local payroll taxes, as well as federal income taxes. They file state and local premium tax returns. They also oversee annual budgeting of expenses and handle premium and loss accounting with reinsurance companies.

Risk Management and Innovation. The Risk Management area is responsible for the negotiation and administration of reinsurance contracts, monitoring and controlling exposure to catastrophes, authoring and coordinating the submission of Central's Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA), directing the efforts of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), and managing the corporate fleet. The Innovation Department is focused on researching new products, identifying cost savings through process improvements, and finding ways to differentiate Central from our competitors.


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Human Resources

Human Resources is responsible for all human resource activities for the company. This includes employment-related activities such as recruiting, hiring, training, compensation, job classification and assignment, promotion, transfers, and employee relations. This department also includes our employee benefits areas which consist of medical, dental, vision, disability, flexible spending, Savings and Profit Participation, pension, life insurance, and voluntary life insurance plans.

Learning and Development reports to Central's Vice President of Human Resources & Facilties. They develop, implement, maintain, and monitor effective training and education programs to assist employees and agents in meeting or exceeding their responsibilities and encourage future development. Programs from The Institutes (IIA/CPCU) are available to employees.

Facilities is responsible for the maintenance of buildings and grounds, as well as the purchasing and servicing of office equipment and supplies.

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Information Technology

Information Technology designs, develops, and maintains a wide variety of multi-functional computer systems which support company and agency operations as well as our insured customers. These include Internet, personal computer, mobile, and mainframe platforms. Employees, agents, and insured customers may contact the Information Technology Help Desk to receive assistance with their questions and problems.

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Legal

Legal is responsible for the management of all corporate legal and regulatory issues and the provision of legal counsel that assists in developing and advancing the company's strategic business objectives.

Internal Audit provides independent, objective assurance and consulting services to the company. This includes examining and evaluating the company's governance, risk management, and internal control processes. Internal Audit has a dual reporting relationship to the General Counsel and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

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Marketing

Marketing is responsible for communicating Central's products and programs to our agents and policyholders. Marketing is also responsible for the creation of promotional materials and Internet publishing, including social media and videos. The Home Office staff provides training and support to our regional employees.

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Personal Lines Underwriting

Personal Lines Underwriting sets the personal lines pricing and risk selection standards for the company. They research and develop products; maintain the automated underwriting systems and workflow; develop and manage the interface with vendor and agency systems; conduct underwriting audits; assist with training and education; and consult, approve, and support the regional underwriting decisions. Personal Lines Underwriting also administers the Blue Streak program, a recognition program for high performing agencies.

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Regional Offices


Regional Claims

The regional Claims staff investigates losses, evaluates coverage, and negotiates and settles claims promptly and equitably.

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Regional Commercial and Personal Lines Underwriting

The Regional Personal Lines Underwriters are more than just risk managers who evaluate applicants for coverage. They are relationship managers whose responsibilities range from coverage evaluation to training to trend analysis. They work hand-in-hand with our independent agents to develop the right policy that’s needed to protect the personal assets of each of our customers at a fair price.

Regional Commercial Underwriters are responsible for the development and maintenance of a profitable book of business. The underwriting process includes evaluation of loss exposures; determining who, what, and how we insure; determining the premium for the coverages provided; communicating with the producing agency and internal personnel to put coverage into effect; and monitoring the decisions made on the individual accounts and the book as a whole to maximize the profit potential of the agency and the company.

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Regional Loss Control

The regional Loss Control staff completes surveys of current and prospective accounts to help them identify unsafe conditions and practices. They help our insureds formulate action steps to eliminate or control these hazards and prevent losses.

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Regional Marketing

The regional Marketing staff develops and manages a territory, has field underwriting authority, keeps our independent agents informed about Central's products and services, and recommends new agents.

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Regional Office Services

Each regional office is supported by an Office Services staff that assists them in the daily operation of the regional office.

Each regional office also has an HR Manager who is responsible for Human Resources issues.

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