Customer service office holds grand opening
BWC, Canton are partners in progress

As BWC enters a new era in its evolution as one of the world’s leading workers’ compensation insurers, the City of Canton seems like a fitting partner. The partnership officially began during the March 1 Canton Customer Service Office grand opening.

“It’s my first official duty, so it will go down in my book (of favorite memories),” said Canton Mayor Janet Weir Creighton before helping BWC Administrator/CEO James Conrad and Customer Service Office Manager Fred Schnitzpahn cut the ribbon to open BWC’s newly consolidated Canton Customer Service Office. The office is located at 400 Third St. S.E.

State representatives John Hagan (R-Marlboro) and Scott Oelslager (R-Canton), as well as local government, media and business representatives, were on hand for the grand opening ceremony.

BWC’s consolidation of its Akron and Canton service offices brought 88 jobs into the economy of a revitalized downtown Canton.

Weir Creighton thanked BWC for “the prudent decision to bring 88 jobs to the City of Canton. I want to roll out the red carpet and let you know that we stand ready to help you in any way we can. I look forward to our further partnership.”

Conrad is no stranger to downtown Canton’s renaissance. As administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services (now the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services) prior to joining BWC, he broke ground on that agency’s office building just across the street.

“We’re happy to have been a part of the rebirth of Canton,” Conrad said. “We have had good relations with the City of Canton, and we look forward to continuing those relations.”

The Canton Customer Service Office serves 25,000 private and 375 public employers in an eight-county area, and manages 25,000 active claims. The office features a new 8,000-square-foot training and conference area, which will be used for external and internal training purposes.

“With the addition of our training and resource center, the Canton office becomes a regional magnet for safety training and employer education” Fred said. “This is a great addition to our customer service offerings.”

Jackie Cobb and Robin Watson, two of Canton’s Customer Service Office Champions, said the consolidation is going well.

“We still have work to do, but we have become a strong team focusing on the same goals,” Robin said. “Within that group, we also are starting to form other teams supporting the New Business Model.”

“We are all bringing in our own experience to make for a strong unit,” Jackie said. “We will be able to bridge the gap and focus on the same goals.”

Click on the links for more comments on the Canton Customer Service Office grand opening from Champions Jackie Cobb, Robin Watson and Keith Greathouse, and from office manager Fred Schnitzpahn.