L.A.-based Farmers Insurance expects to bring as many 20,000 of its national employees to a new training center it opened earlier this month in Agoura Hills, a move that could create a boon for area hotels and restaurants and possibly Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Called the University of Farmers, the 120,000-square-foot, 20-classroom educational and development facility at 30801 Agoura Hills Road will offer Farmers employees, brokers and managers a wide variety of courses on everything from customer service to management techniques. “This is a vehicle where our employees can learn about job opportunities, educational opportunities, development opportunities,” said Martin D. Feinstein, a former Farmers CEO and chairman who years ago dreamed up the idea of a one-stop training center for Farmers employees. “It is that help to those that want it.” The training is expected to touch on 15,000 Farmers agents, 2,000 new hires, 7,600 mid-level staff and 500 district managers over the next several years. To accommodate that number of out-of-towners, Farmers has inked contracts with Marriott hotels to provide rooms in Woodland Hills and Agoura Hills, said Farmers spokesman Jerry Davies. The travel could also benefit Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, where some participants will arrive for training, Davies said. (Agents will fly primarily into Los Angeles International Airport, he said.) Local benefits During the center’s opening ceremony that brought an estimated 500 Farmers employees to its asphalt parking lot Nov. 3, Agoura Hills Mayor Denis Weber gushed about what the visitors will mean to the city and Conejo Valley and its local businesses and restaurants. “We want you to be part of the family of Agoura Hills,” he told the crowd. To handle the training, the company has hired five senior educational and business directors and about 30 other staff. Additionally, agent training, which includes instructional design, graphics, e-learning and administration, will be headed by seven instructors, two vice presidents, two directors and 18 support staff. The center offers training in the company’s main areas of expertise auto, business, life and homeowners insurance and financial services. One program deals exclusively with agents, district managers and staff and helps improve profitability, customer service and business practices. Another assists claims employees investigate, estimate and settle claims. In addition to seven classrooms dedicated to claims training, the center houses a 15,000-square-foot, 17-stall garage stocked with damaged cars and vehicle lifts and a two-story, full-sized mock house. In both cases, the realistic models offer hands-on training about the types of damage a home or car may face and helps claims officers better address what they find. The center is also home to the Martin D. Feinstein Center for Professional Development, which provides professional learning, organizational tools, insurance education classes and online courses. The Farmers University concept is an outgrowth of an employee-training program the company started in March 2004 at the Los Angeles International Airport Hilton and at hotels across the country. The company found that brokers and other employees who took part in the seminars were far better equipped to handle complex issues. Soon, it was decided that the conferences would be more effective if everything were under one roof, said Ed Reis, vice president of claims strategic services for Farmers. Building renovated Officials selected an existing building in Agoura Hills that had housed a training center for the Massachusetts semiconductor and networking developer Teradyne, which still occupies a structure just next door. The renovation took about six months, Reis said. “We had to gut it out,” he said. Today, the gleaming new center is a far cry from the rented hotel conference rooms the company had been utilizing, Reis said. “This is the first time we bring it together in one environment,” he said. “It’s a big deal.” Fire Insurance Exchange Board Chairman Bim Braddock said having everything under one roof is a huge benefit for employees and eventually customers. “We need to make certain our professionals are the best trained professionals in the business,” he said.
