Nulty Insurance proves that, at the end of the day, it’s all about community.

NULTY INSURANCE; KALAMAZOO, MI | A family-owned business since 1945, Nulty Insurance has always focused on people over profits. “It’s beyond just checking boxes. Everything we do is centered on the relationships we have built here. When we walk into work, each of us has the feeling that Nulty cares. It cares about us,” says small business advisor Ben Miller.

In order to build this community of caring, Nulty has established different company committees to make sure everyone is meshing well as a team, giving back, and having fun at the same time. One committee, the Champions Task Force, opens up communication between the team and its leaders. Miller, a member of this committee, has found it to be an effective way to get things done: “We did a survey on engagement and took the results to the management team—we found that employees would really value regular teambuilding meetings. After reviewing the survey, they added more of what we asked for. Management usually steps up right away if there are any suggestions that people make.”

Although Nulty pays special attention to its own workplace community, the company is constantly hard at work within its surrounding community as well. Another employee-based committee, the Nulty’s Needs Team, regularly coordinates with local charities like Loaves and Fishes and the Humane Society to make an impact in the lives of others. “One time, we put together meals for kids in a program that allows kids to take, not just lunch, but breakfast and dinner home on weekends and during the summer for families that rely on school meals,” says Miller, “In fact, Nulty even pays us for some of the charity work we do each month.”

In cultivating a close-knit culture of togetherness, Nulty shows that its mission goes beyond business as usual. Over the years, it has built its success on a foundation of values that help set the company apart. “At most places, you come to work, you do your job, and you leave,” says Miller, “Here, you want to come to work and you want to be around these people. It’s just a welcoming atmosphere—you get the sense that you really matter to everyone, even the people in charge.”