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| Type | Mutual, Stock |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1925 |
| Headquarters | Bloomington, Illinois |
| Key people | John Blackburn, CEO |
| Industry | Insurance & Financial Services |
| Products | Insurance & Investing |
| Revenue | $3.15 billion USD (2009)[1] |
| Employees | 5,600 |
| Website | www.countryfinancial.com |
Country Financial is a group of US insurance and financial services companies. Its corporate headquarters are in Bloomington, Illinois.
Contents |
History
Country was founded in 1925 when a group of Illinois Agricultural Association members developed an organization to provide fire and lightning insurance. The farmers created Country because insurance salesmen rarely traveled the dirt and gravel roads to their homes and they were being charged the same rates as city dwellers. In the company's first year of operation, more than 385 Illinois farmers worked part-time, offering insurance services to their friends and neighbors.
Crop insurance became available in 1926, auto insurance in 1927, and life insurance in 1929. Financial services, including retirement planning, estate planning, investment management, and annuities have been available for more than 35 years.
Country has grown exponentially since its founding. In more than 80 years of operation, the insurance and financial services provider grew from a small Illinois company serving only Illinois customers to having agents in 14 states and offering products and services in 40 states.
Country Financial and its alliances now serve about 1 million households and businesses and insure more than 1 million vehicles and a half a million homes throughout the United States. The organization currently has 3,600 employees and more than 2,000 agents[2].
Country has several corporate offices. Three are located in Bloomington, Illinois, and the others are in Arden Hills, Minnesota, Salem, Oregon, Atlanta, Georgia (Cotton States), Middletown, Connecticut (Middle Oak), and Salem, Massachusetts (Middle Oak).
Rankings
Country ranked first eight out of nine years between 2000 and 2008, with the lowest ratio of auto complaints and the second lowest ratio of homeowner's complaints in Illinois.[3]
TheStreet.com ranks Country Life among the seven strongest annuity, life and long term care insurers, earning an A+ rating. Country Mutual ranks among the 10 strongest auto, home and business insurers, earning an A rating.[4]
A.M. Best Company, Inc. has affirmed the A+ Superior for the property and casualty and primary life and health companies within Country Financial. Country has been included in Best's highest rating category for more than 70 consecutive years.[5]
Country Financial Security Index
The Country Financial Security Index is a bi-monthly measure of Americans' sentiments towards their overall financial security. Based on a national telephone survey of 3,000 Americans, the index tracks how secure Americans feel about their own financial situation in relation to their stage in life. Survey questions range from taking care of short-term needs and protecting current assets to planning for the future.
Country Alliance
Country Financial now owns and operates two other insurance companies which falls under a partnership called the Country Alliance. These companies are MiddleOak, which services the northeast portion of the United States, and Cotton States, which services the southeast portion of the United States.
CEOs
| CEO | Years Served |
|---|---|
| John Blackburn | 2001–Present |
| Duane Miller | 1974–2001 |
| Darrell Achenbach[6] | 1962–1974 |
Revenue
2009 Revenue: 3.15 billion USD
2008 Revenue: 3.135 billion USD
References
- ^ Fortune 1000 (2009)
- ^ "Primary Companies"
- ^ 2008 Department of Professional Regulation Report
- ^ Ratings reflect year end 2007 performance
- ^ "Industry Analyst Confirms Superior Ratings For COUNTRY"
- ^ Executive VP. Prior to 1962, the companies which comprise Country Financial had separate leaders. Source: CLIC Magazine, August 1974
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
