Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Sentry history
Sentry company history timeline
Back in 1904, members of the Wisconsin Retail Hardware Association gave us our start when they formed their own mutual insurance company.
1912: Secretary P.J. Jacobs moves the company to Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
1914: A separate insurance company is formed to write workers’ compensation insurance—the Wisconsin Hardware Limited Mutual Liability Insurance Company.
1916: Hardware Mutual companies begin to write auto insurance lines.
California Mutual is a California domestic insurance company which began operations in 1920, when a group of local businessmen came together to form the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of San Benito County located in Hollister, California.
The company has grown from 1920 to issuing fire coverage for farmers only, to writing policies on Homeowners, Rental Properties, Motels, Mercantile Buildings, Bed & Breakfast Inns, Light Industrial Buildings, Office Buildings, Business Owners Policy’s and more throughout California.
In the 1930’s the company began insuring rural schools and residences in addition to the farm buildings.
In 1932 the first church they insured was the Methodist Church, located in Hollister.
1932: The Hardware Mutual companies are licensed to write insurance in what was then all 48 states.
Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance began to explore commercial policies in 1945 by insuring the Hollister Womens’ Club building from there, the types of commercial policies offered continued to grow.
1958: Sentry Life Insurance Company is born to meet the life insurance needs of policyholders.
In 1961 a large earthquake hit the San Benito County area causing extensive property damage.
1962: The company announces a new corporate image campaign, including the name “Sentry” and the Captain John Parker minuteman statue.
1966: John Joanis elected CEO and president.
1966: Sentry acquires Dairyland Insurance Company.
1970: A merger takes place between Hardware Mutual Casualty Company and Hardware Dealers Mutual Fire Insurance Company, complete with a new name—Hardware Mutual Casualty.
1971: The company changes its name from Hardware Mutual Casualty Company to Sentry Insurance a Mutual Company (SIAMCO).
1977: “Sentry World Headquarters” office opens in Stevens Point.
1982: SentryWorld golf course and sports complex opens.
1985: Larry Ballard named president, CEO, and chairman of the board.
Then on October 17, 1989 as Californians were leaving work and others were sitting down to watch the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s a massive earthquake hit Central California.
In the summer of 1989 the company changed its name to Mid-State Mutual Insurance Company.
After residing at 1619 Monroe Street across from Camp Randall for 32 years, Wisconsin Mutual constructed and moved to the current location in Old Sauk Trails Park, 8201 Excelsior Drive, in 1990.
1998: Dale Schuh elected chairman of the board.
1999: Sentry acquires John Deere Insurance Group.
In September of 2006, Mid-State Mutual became California Mutual Insurance Company.
CEO Pete McPartland joined us in 2010 and since then has been providing forward-thinking leadership.
Current Sentry Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO Pete McPartland renewed SentryWorld’s dedication to Stevens Point in 2013 by spearheading the facility’s major renovation, updating and improving the venue and once again providing visitors with an authentic central Wisconsin experience.
2014: Regional office opens in Montgomery, Alabama.
Hortica®: Since 2015 we’ve been affiliated with Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company.
2015: Midwest regional offices open in Madison, Wisconsin and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The company has historically written business only in the state of Wisconsin and recently expanded to Minnesota in the Spring of 2017.
2017: Southeast regional office opens in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He furthered that commitment in 2021 with the opening of the Inn at SentryWorld—a charming, upscale hotel built off the 18th green that serves business clientele, golfers, and visitors to the community.
© 2022 Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Company | Privacy Notice
Rate how well Sentry lives up to its initial vision.
Sentry jobs
Do you work at Sentry?
Does Sentry communicate its history to new hires?
Sentry competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAnet | 1999 | $7.3M | 63 | - |
| The Travelers Companies | 1853 | $231.7M | 30,800 | 1,933 |
| Zurich | 1872 | $160.0M | 200 | 1,226 |
| Century Insurance Group | - | $4.3M | 50 | - |
| Safeco Insurance | 1923 | $6.3B | 7,200 | - |
| Kemper | 1990 | $10.5M | 10,000 | 936 |
| GEICO | 1936 | $25.5B | 40,000 | 1,346 |
| Esurance | 1998 | $1.0B | 3,000 | - |
| Fireman's Fund Insurance Company | 1863 | $723.0M | 2,000 | - |
| The Hartford | 1810 | $20.7B | 19,500 | 1,415 |
Sentry history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Sentry, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Sentry. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Sentry. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Sentry. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Sentry and its employees or that of Zippia.
Sentry may also be known as or be related to Mutual Insurance Co, Sentry, Sentry Insurance, Sentry Insurance A Mutual Company, Sentry Insurance Group and Sentry Insurance a Mutual Insurance Co.