Two Greater Des Moines mutual insurance companies — EMC Insurance Cos. and Merchants Bonding Co. — were recognized recently for their initiatives in innovation by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. Property-casualty insurer EMC received two innovation awards during the association’s annual Award in Innovation presentation on July 1. EMC was named the best in the creativity category and best in the conference alignment category. “We are so grateful to NAMIC for recognizing the great strides we’ve made in our innovative journey over the past few years,” said EMC President and CEO Scott Jean. “In addition to our extensive involvement in the insurtech space, we have been particularly focused on engaging all of our team members in fostering a culture of innovation.” Merchants Bonding Co. won the Best in Category-Impact award, in recognition for its technological innovation related to the Hub, its online surety bond ordering system that streamlines the surety process. “This award is a testament to Merchants’ cutting-edge technology,” said Merchants President Larry Taylor. The national awards were created by NAMIC in 2014 to recognize mutual insurers that exemplify the vision and entrepreneurialism it takes to stay relevant in changing times.