West Virginia's Work Comp Insurance Company BrickStreet Relocates Headquarters

Charleston, WV (CompNewsNetwork) - BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co.'s move to a new corporate headquarters in downtown Charleston is under way. The private workers' compensation insurance carrier began moving its 460 employees from three Kanawha Valley locations into a modern, state of the art facility. The new location is at 400 Quarrier St., at the southeast corner of Charleston Town Center Mall.

Following is some additional information about the new headquarters:

· Business units are being moved under a staggered schedule designed to prevent any disruption in conducting normal business.

· The move brings together employees previously assigned to work at 4700 MacCorkle Ave. SE and 4101 MacCorkle Ave. SE in Charleston, and on 4 th Avenue Street in South Charleston.

· Leases on those properties cost BrickStreet about $1.44 million annually.

· BrickStreet has branch office locations in Wheeling and Martinsburg, and several other employees who work from their homes in other areas of the
state.

· BrickStreet's new facility at the corner of Quarrier and Court Streets has 95,000 square feet of office space on two floors.

· BrickStreet will lease an additional 15,000 square feet of office space to an as yet undetermined tenant in the future.

· BrickStreet paid $9 million for the former Montgomery Ward and Bob Evans Restaurant property in late December 2006. Following a groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 16, 2007, the "designbuild" renovation of the property was completed in just nine months.

· The aggressive renovation and construction schedule allowed BrickStreet to consolidate its operations well in advance of the competitive market opening on July 1, 2008.

· The new site facilitates consolidation of BrickStreet's business functions on two floors of a single location, promoting efficiency, reduced cost and
enhanced customer service. It also allows BrickStreet to align its new business structure, which revolves around eight multifunctional business teams that focus specific expertise on the unique needs of major market segments, including Coal Industry Accounts, Government Accounts, Small Accounts (less than $10,000 in annual premium), Standard Accounts (three teams, separated geographically, with annual premiums between $10,000 and $100,000), and Large Accounts (two teams, separated geographically, with more than $100,000 in annual premium).

· The downtown location affords better public exposure for BrickStreet, and an increased level of convenience for customers.

· The downtown location affords greater accessibility from a transportation perspective for our agents, policyholders and employees.

· This location brings nearly 500 employees into downtown Charleston to work, eat, shop and otherwise support our local economy.

· The general contractor for the project, BBL Carlton, and its subcontractors are participants in the LEAD Drug Screening and Safety Training Program, a voluntary program of the Kanawha Valley Builders Association involving union workers and contractors in the construction industry.

· The use of local contractors and vendors, whenever possible, is part of BrickStreet's corporate philosophy.