RICHFIELD, OH National Interstate Insurance Company employees, construction and architect partners, as well as state and local school and government officials gathered today for the groundbreaking ceremony for the third building at its Richfield, Ohio corporate campus. 

The five story, 117,000 square foot, building will serve as the centerpiece on National Interstate's campus and will connect its two existing buildings via walkways.  This $25 million project is in anticipation of the approximately 200 new employees the Company expects to add over the next several years. When completed, the campus will comprise nearly 300,000 square feet of office space and have the capacity to hold approximately 1,000 employees. The new building will include a larger company cafeteria, additional wellness facilities and several outdoor decks and patios. Further, the expanded campus facilities will provide space to host customers to provide even greater customer interaction.

"After months of planning, we are excited to begin construction of what will become the main building on our campus," said Tony J. Mercurio, President & Chief Executive Officer of National Interstate Corporation. "The construction of this new building is yet another sign to our customers, employees, business partners and the community of our commitment to growth and to Northeast Ohio."

Recognizing the importance of the local community, National Interstate partnered with and has the support of both the Village of Richfield and the Revere School District on this exciting expansion project.

In addition to local partnerships, National Interstate collaborated with JobsOhio, a non-profit organization designed to drive job creation and new capital investment throughout Ohio. Together National Interstate and JobsOhio plan to help increase job creation and foster employee development.

Gary Monda, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, who is also heading up the project for the Company stated, "We appreciate the supportive business environment and ongoing services that we receive from all of our partners. Our campus, with its central location between Cleveland and Akron, has allowed us access to top talent throughout Northeast Ohio and we are pleased to provide them with a convenient, safe and stimulating work environment."