Top Workplaces: Shorewest Realtors, Keller Williams Milwaukee and West Bend Mutual earn large company honors
A real estate agency, a broker agency and an insurance company received top honors in the large companies category for this year's Journal Sentinel Top Workplaces in Southeastern Wisconsin.
Shorewest Realtors
Shorewest Realtors is a one-stop shop for Wisconsin real estate services. Since 1946, the company has helped families buy and sell homes as well as deliver mortgage, home and insurance services.
The family-owned company celebrated 75 years in 2021. This is the 11th-straight year it has been voted a Top Workplace.
Headquartered in Brookfield, Shorewest has over 20 offices and roughly 1,200 employees.
“We really are a family. We have a lot of employees, some for over 25 years. We're the local brand, the local name,” said Joe Horning, president of Shorewest Realtors.
“We've been here, and we have a good reputation as being a leader in the industry.”
Shorewest says it strives to set the standard on how to bring family and employees together as a team to serve Wisconsin families. The company provides a comprehensive training program for agents.
“We're here to provide our agents the best tools, training and technology to succeed,” said Horning.
Committed to its employees and the greater community, Shorewest is also often involved with the community and charitable giving.
Keller Williams Milwaukee
Headquartered in Whitefish Bay, Keller Williams Milwaukee is a full-service residential real estate brokerage serving the five-county metro area.
Founded in 2015, the company has four other locations around southeastern Wisconsin.
“We're in our infancy of what we're capable of doing. There’s many markets that we are established in and many markets that we have not tapped into,” said Charlie Stalle, general manager at the Keller Williams Milwaukee office.
“We firmly believe we have an incredible runway for organic growth in the southeastern Wisconsin area.”
Keller Williams has around 660 employees and it focuses on creating an environment where everyone works together. Stalle says more than 200 people are present on every team meeting call.
The company also offers an extensive training program for agents including a YouTube channel with training video resources.
“Our environment is one that's unlike anything I've ever seen in that everyone wraps their arms around each other,” said Mandy Katte, team leader at Keller Williams.
West Bend Mutual Insurance Company
West Bend Mutual Insurance is a property and casualty mutual insurance company. It sells insurance through independent agents to a variety of businesses and consumers.
Two-thirds of its claims come from business insurance and the other one-third is related to auto and home insurance, said Kevin Steiner, president and CEO of West Bend Mutual.
The three offices in Wisconsin employ around 1,300 employees. Over 300 people have made it to the company’s 25-year club, with over 200 of those still working at the company today.
“Culture trumps strategy,” said Steiner. “We attract really good, talented individuals to our company. We describe our culture with one word: relationships.”
Volunteering and fundraising are also part of the West Bend mission.
“All of our officers are on the board of nonprofits. Not only are we giving our treasures, but we're giving our time and our talents,” said Steiner.
The company donates nearly $3 million from its charitable foundation to nonprofits across the country, with a good share of it staying in Wisconsin.
This is the 11th-straight year the company has been voted a Top Workplace.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Top Workplaces: Shorewest, Keller WIlliams, West Bend Mutual honored