Insurance Employees Lead Tree Planting Mission In New Location

Thirty-five Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) employees are supporting the company's efforts to plant 80,000 trees for the fourth consecutive year through a two-day project in Kentucky. Today employees finished their second day of planting in Daniel Boone National Forest as part of the PHLY 80K Trees initiative, resulting in 4,500 trees in the ground. PHLY's 80K tree planting mission began in 2015 in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. The goal to fund the planting of 80,000 trees was reached each year with the help of PHLY's independent agents, brokers, and policyholders who signed up for paperless statements. The company has used the cost savings from each year's new paperless enrollees to fund plantings the following year. The last three years, PHLY (pronounced phil-EE) employees planted trees in Bastrop State Park in Texas, which was devastated by a 2011 wildfire. This year, PHLY employees traveled to Daniel Boone National Forest in Mount Victory, KY, where the Arbor Day Foundation recommended planting 10,000 trees. The 30-acre planting site is part of one million acres of Appalachian forests that have been removed by surface mining, according to Green Forests Work. The Arbor Day Foundation will lead projects to plant an additional 70,000 trees in other U.S. forests this year to complete the 80,000 commitment from PHLY. "After three years and 240,000 trees planted through our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, we recognized that the need to restore America's forests remains and our employees continue to be enthusiastic about the mission," shared Bob O'Leary, president and chief executive officer of Philadelphia Insurance Companies. "The continued support of our business partners, customers, and employees helped us reach our goal to fund the planting of another 80,000 trees in areas in need such as Daniel Boone National Forest." The trees planted through PHLY's efforts will help provide greater security to communities, including PHLY's policyholders. PHLY's funding has supported tree planting in forests and communities nationwide including Modoc National Forest (CA), Superior National Forest (MN), Lost Pines Forest Recovery (TX), Malhuer National Forest (OR), Lake Superior State Forest (MI), Choccolocco State Forest (AL), Sandhills Game Land (NC), Chippewa National Forest (MN), and Flight 93 National Memorial (PA).