MANCHESTER — Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. in Manchester is not a typical insurance company.

According to office manager Sandy Walstrom of New Richland, everyone in the office has an insurance license, yet none of the four office staff are insurance agents.

Anyone who walks in the door is actually given a list of several insurance agents throughout the area who work with the mutual company. It is the agent who will take an application for a policy and submit it to Farmers Mutual. That’s where their job begins. An inspector from the Manchester office travels to the property and assesses what kind of home or farm package policy the customer might need. Walstrom then underwrites a policy so the agent can present the customer with a quote.

“The owners are actually the policyholders,” Walstrom said of the company.

This is one of the things that sets Farmers Mutual apart from many insurance companies. Employees in the office have their salaries set by the board of directors. The board is voted upon by the policyholders themselves.

Walstrom said this allows the company to provide a good product for a fair price.

“We are very competitive,” she said of their pricing.

When claims need to be made, policyholders contact their agents who then call Farmers Mutual. An adjuster is sent out to settle the claim and Walstrom issues a check from the office.

It’s a different kind of insurance company, yet for over 140 years it has worked. The regional company has over 2,000 policyholders, and the number of clients it serves continues to grow.

To find an insurance agent in your area who offers a Farmers Mutual policy, contact Farmers Mutual at 507-826-3425.