Marinette County Receives $106,238 Dividend Check for Keeping "Safety First" on Marinette County Law Enforcement Center
Wis. County Mutual Insurance Corp. Presents Check at Board Meeting

Keeping "safety first" has paid off big for Marinette County. Today the county was presented with a $106,238 dividend check from the Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Corporation (County Mutual) for having no loss time accidents during the construction of the Marinette County Law Enforcement Center.

The Marinette County Law Enforcement Center participated in the County Mutual’s Owner Direct Insurance Program (ODIP). The ODIP is a cost-saving insurance product that allows counties to take control of their general liability and worker’s compensation insurance needs on building projects such as jails or law enforcement centers. Estimates have shown that the cost of general liability for these types of projects is typically three to four percent of the total contract value.

"The team Marinette County assembled for this project made safety a number one priority," said Blair A. Rogacki, Vice President of Operations for Aegis Corporation, which is the general administrator for the County Mutual and administers the on-site safety program for the ODIP program. "From the general contractor to the workers that put up the walls, their daily commitment to safety is why the county has seen such substantial savings using the ODIP."

The total premium paid by Marinette County, which is a member of the County Mutual, was $ $262,519, with $106,238 coming back to the county in the form of a dividend payment.

In addition to program administration, Aegis Corporation conducted weekly safety visits and training on site to the Marinette County Law Enforcement Center project. "We stress safety first and foremost to all those involved in this process," said Vance Forrest, Vice President of Risk Management for Aegis Corporation. "In the end, the cost savings Marinette County has seen was the direct result of a daily commitment to a safe job site."

The Wisconsin Counties Association, along with county officials from around the state, created the County Mutual in 1987 to provide quality liability insurance substantially at cost to its members. The County Mutual, rated an A- by A.M. Best, is a unique non-profit insurance company because it is member owned and is able to pay dividends to counties and municipalities in low loss years. Including Marinette County, 55 of the state’s 72 counties are members.

"The collaboration between the county and the people involved in building this new center are to be commended for their dedication to a safe work environment," said Jon Hochkammer, Director of Insurance Operations for the Wisconsin Counties Association, which acts as corporate manager for the County Mutual. "Time and time again with public building projects, counties and the taxpayers have emerged as the true winners with the ODIP."