You can thank Ohio farmers for the beginnings of one of the state’s business powerhouses and one of Columbus’s top philanthropic supporters.

Nationwide Insurance, one of the county’s largest property and casualty insurance companies, was created in 1926 by the Ohio Farm Bureau as the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company to help the state’s farmers insure their vehicles. By the 1930s, the company’s offerings had expanded to other states and added property and life insurance coverage.

Today, Nationwide is a Fortune 100 company that has helped put Columbus, Ohio on the map, while agriculture remains Ohio’s top industry, supplying one in seven Ohio jobs.

Hear from the current leaders of both the Ohio Farm Bureau and Nationwide Insurance as they share perspectives on Ohio’s economic future and the power of lasting partnerships in a changing world.

The panelists are:

Adam Sharp, Executive Vice President, The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation

Kirt Walker, Chief Executive Officer, Nationwide

The host is Colleen Marshall, Anchor, NBC4

This forum was sponsored by The Columbus Partnership and The Ohio State University. It was recorded before a live audience in Columbus, Ohio on December 14, 2022.