text: Many insurance companies are headquartered in Des Moines , including the Principal Financial Group , Marsh ( formerly KVI ) , EMC Insurance Group , Allied Insurance ( now part of Nationwide ) , AmerUs Group ( now part of Aviva ) , Holmes Murphy , and American Republic Insurance Company . Des Moines has been referred to as the `` Hartford of the West '' because of this .
simplified: Des Moines has many insurance companies in the city .