American Modern Unveils Employee-Constructed Home For Claims Training, Education

With the help of more than 350 employee volunteers, American Modern Insurance Group has completed construction of a two-story “LivingWise” home inside its training center in Amelia, Ohio, to demonstrate smart, sustainable and secure residential lifestyle features and train claims adjusters on related building materials and technologies.

As part of the company’s commitment to employee training and engagement, American Modern employees from across the organization worked in groups to construct the LivingWise home over seven months. The 1,471 square feet home has three bedrooms and 2.5 baths and was built inside the company’s 50,000 square foot claims training facility.

“The new facility takes our current hands-on claims training program to the next level so our employees and those from other companies who attend our classes can even better serve customers,” said Dave McNutt, senior vice president of Claims, who noted that American Modern will use the home for claims training beginning in January 2016.

The home structure will be used as part of the company’s robust hands-on claims training curriculum, which will consist of using simulated environments (i.e. causing wind, water, and fire damage to the structure) to teach adjusters how to complete the actual repairs.

“Whether they involve smart technology or environmentally friendly construction, these kinds of features will be increasingly common in the homes we insure, so adjusters need to understand how to estimate and make repairs when they’re damaged,” he said.

Throughout the construction process, the company shared educational resources through a blog to provide tips and information on how to apply the LivingWise principles.

“From the outset, the LivingWise home has been more than a construction project,” said Tammy Nelson, chief marketing officer.

“It’s been about a lifestyle that’s smart, sustainable and secure. We wanted to be innovative, informative and inspiring so we could create a conversation with our partners and policyholders about LivingWise.”

The LivingWise home was built in partnership with Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB), which contributed and installed smart home technologies. American Modern and HSB are both subsidiaries of Munich Re, a global reinsurer, and are members of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, also a partner in the LivingWise initiative.

With support from these partners, the LivingWise home is:

• Smart: The home features a smart thermostat, keyless entry doorway, water sensors and carbon monoxide/smoke detectors, among other devices.
• Sustainable: For example, building materials are made of sustainable and environmentally-friendly elements, including bamboo and cork flooring as well as a concrete countertop in the first-floor bathroom.
• Secure: With guidance from IBHS, the home’s garage was built to meet its FORTIFIED construction standards which will make it more resistant to high winds and hail.

Source: American Modern Insurance Group