Photo by Karin Elton

Minnesota’s largest farm insurance provider, North Star Mutual, is celebrating a century of insurance service in 2020.

Feb. 15 marked the 100th anniversary of North Star Mutual Insurance Company, a policyholder owned property-casualty insurance carrier serving the Midwest. The company was originally established in 1920 to provide affordable hail protection to farmers throughout the Minnesota.

“One hundred years is quite an achievement,” said Jeff Mauland, president and CEO, “and I am proud that our policyholders, agents, and employees who have contributed to the company’s success over the years can all celebrate in this legacy.”

Located in the small farming community of Cottonwood, North Star prides itself on its rural values and personable service, according to a news release. The company is the top farm writer in Minnesota, working in partnership with township mutuals across the state. North Star has been a recognized leader in the agricultural insurance market and has had a historic emphasis on insuring farm and rural properties in the Upper Midwest. 

The company also writes home, auto and business insurance. Fire and allied lines for homes and business was added in the 1950s, originally to accommodate retired farmers who had moved into town. As business grew, North Star Mutual added auto insurance to the books in 1991.

“We have many excellent, long term relationships with our agents and are grateful for the outstanding support we have received over the years,” said Mauland. “Our rural location provides us with a very experienced, dedicated and caring staff which, combined with user-friendly technology, have been keys to our success.”

North Star is rated A+ Superior by A.M. Best and in 2018, was again selected as a Wards Top 50 Property-Casualty Insurance Company for the 14th consecutive year.

“There have been some tough years, and some prosperous years over the course of the last century. We’ve been blessed with consistent growth,” said Mauland. The company, with about 270 employees and 1,500 independent agencies, writes over $450 million in premium annually across eight states. “We are a lot bigger of a company than we used to be, but our commitment to our policyholders, rural values and friendly service, remains to this day and those values will carry us into the next 100 years.”

North Star will be celebrating its 100th anniversary with a series of open houses, community outreach projects and other special programs throughout 2020.