New Nationwide Insurance facility to provide home for 800 new jobs in San Antonio
Company announces grants to four local charities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2011
Contact:
Mike Switzer 614-249-4092
switzem1@nationwide.com
San Antonio, TX — Construction on Nationwide Insurance’s new facility in Westover Hills is set to begin, following a tree planting ceremony with San Antonio Mayor, Julián Castro and Judge Nelson Wolff. The facility will be home to 800 new insurance jobs in San Antonio, for which the company is currently hiring, including English-Spanish bilingual job applicants.
The company also announced grants from the Nationwide Insurance Foundation totaling $80,000 to four local charities. This includes $30,000 for the San Antonio Foodbank, $25,000 for the San Antonio Chapter of the American Red Cross, $10,000 for the Hispanic Religious Partnership for Community Health and $15,000 for SAMMinistries.
“We applaud Nationwide for choosing San Antonio for this major expansion, which adds more than 800 jobs to our economy and fuels continued growth in our Financial Services industry sector," said Mayor Julián Castro.
Officials shared details about the new facility, which will be located near the intersection of Hyatt Resort Drive and SR 151. The 300,000 square foot state of the art facility will have a “college campus” feel and provide capacity for 2,000 employees, including about 1,000 current Nationwide employees in San Antonio. Nationwide will seek LEED certification for the facility, which will include a fitness center, cafeteria and landscaped courtyard area.
“We are creating a world class environment for our associates in San Antonio that will be stimulating and beautiful, inside and out,” said Terrance Williams, regional vice president of Nationwide’s Central Plains and Southern Regions. “We’ve designed the building with an eye to preserving the beautiful Texas Hill Country setting as well as attracting and retaining top talent that can help us provide service to our customers that is second to none.”
Company executives and community leaders planted a 15 foot tall Cedar Elm Tree as a symbol of Nationwide’s future growth in San Antonio.
“Today we put our roots down in San Antonio,” Williams said at the tree planting ceremony. “As this tree grows, so will Nationwide in Texas. We will grow our business and our involvement in this community, which we now consider to be our home.”
The company also provided Cedar Elm saplings to event guests and its 1,000 current employees in San Antonio for them to plant at their homes. Hundreds of trees currently growing on the site will also be preserved and incorporated into the building’s landscape design.
“I'm pleased to support Nationwide and its expansion in San Antonio,” said Bexar County Judge, Nelson Wolff. “The jobs created by this expansion will help our local economy continue to grow and we all benefit when a strong corporate citizen like Nationwide invests in San Antonio.”
The new facility is scheduled for completion in mid 2012. The company is already hiring new employees, with plans to create a total of 800 new jobs over the next three years. The company previously announced plans to add these jobs in 2009. Nationwide is also recruiting bilingual associates to enhance its ability to provide service for its growing Spanish-speaking customer base. Qualified job applicants can get more information or apply online by visiting the careers page of nationwide.com for open jobs in San Antonio.
View images of the new facility: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationwide/sets/72157626209306057/
About the Nationwide Insurance Foundation
The Nationwide Insurance Foundation is an independent corporation funded
by contributions from Nationwide companies including Nationwide Insurance
and Nationwide Financial. Founded in 1959, the Nationwide Insurance
Foundation has committed more than $270 million since 2000 to help
nonprofit organizations in communities where Nationwide associates and
their families live and work. Just as Nationwide supports its customers
in their moment of need, the company’s involvement in its home
communities is focused on supporting organizations that help people
facing critical or immediate need.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest
diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S.
and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of
personalized insurance and financial services, including car insurance,
motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance,
administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions,
long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more
information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemark and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
