State Farm® Honored for its Support of Guard and Reserve - One of 15 Entities Nationwide to Receive Freedom Award

In recognition of support for its employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve, State Farm has been awarded the highest employer honor bestowed by the Department of Defense – the Freedom Award.

“State Farm and all its associates can take pride in this national recognition. But the real salute goes to our colleagues who serve in the National Guard and Reserves, and especially those dozens from across the country and across the company who are on active duty this very day,” said State Farm CEO and Chairman Ed Rust Jr.

The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). In today’s environment of continuous mobilization of Guardsmen and Reservists, America’s employers are becoming inextricably linked to the nation’s defense and are being impacted by on-going military operations. The award recognizes employers who provide the most outstanding support for their National Guard and Reserve employees and is presented annually by the Secretary of Defense. The Freedom Award is the highest in a series of awards given by the U.S. Government, which also include the Patriot Award, Above and Beyond Award, and Pro Patria. State Farm has also received these honors in the past few years.

“In the military the best leaders are those who always take care of their people - and it is no different in the civilian workplace,” said Dr. Gordon Sumner, Executive Director, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. “State Farm has shown that it too takes care of its people. Its employees who are also Reserve and Guard members know the company is helping take care of their families while they are away serving this country.”

Among the extraordinary support efforts cited in State Farm’s selection for the award are:

* Paying employees the difference between their State Farm salary and base military pay while on active duty
* A reintegration program that assists employees in transitioning between military and civilian life
* The Adopt-A-Soldier and other community troop support activities of the company’s Military Affinity Group (MAG)

The award will be presented at ceremonies in Washington, DC on September 18. Other 2008 Freedom Award winners include: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma – Durant, OK; Chrysler Motors, LLC® – Auburn Hills, MI; City of Austin – Austin, TX; Coastal Windows, Inc. – Waipahu, HI; Dominion Resources, Inc.® – Richmond, VA; Jersey City Fire Department – Jersey City, NJ; Lochinvar Corporation® – Lebanon, TN; Oakland County Sheriff’s Office – Pontiac, MI; Oshkosh Corporation® – Oshkosh, WI; Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority® – Reno, NV; Robinson Transport, Inc. – Salina, UT; Union Pacific Corporation – Omaha, NE; Winner School District – Winner, SD; Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, PLLC® – Winston-Salem, NC.