 Frontier Mutual Insurance is a progressive and leading farm mutual
whose primary business is devoted to protecting the physical assets
of Illinois farmers and their livelihood throughout much of
Illinois. The company protects the assets of farms from the northern
border with Wisconsin and stretches as far south as Montgomery and
Effingham counties.
Although the name Frontier is relatively new,
the company's roots go back almost 125 years. Frontier Mutual was
derived from a merger in 2000 between two well-known farm mutuals,
Point Mutual and Lincoln/Logan Mutual. Point Mutual of Pontiac
originated in 1886 as Eppards Point Mutual, a Livingston County
township mutual whose primary occupation was, and is today, insuring
farms. Lincoln/Logan was established in 1887 as Lincoln/Logan County
Mutual, located in Lincoln, a community devoted to the farming
industry.
The Frontier office in Lincoln has a staff of seven Logan County
residents who work to service the 4,500 farms and farm family
members throughout the state.
Larry Cook, a 25-year insurance agent, has been in charge of the
office for 3 1/2 years. Born in Arcola, a farming community, Cook
understands his policyholders. Larry and his wife, Diane, have two
sons, Max and William, attending Lincoln Junior High School.
"We protect Illinois farmers' assets: houses, tractors, combines,
tools and farm buildings all are covered by our company," Cook
explained at his office.
He wanted to point out that as a mutual insurance company, the
company is owned by the policyholders, with a board of directors
made up of those farmers.
Cook explained that the fact the insurance company covers a great
part of Illinois helps all of their policyholders.
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A natural disaster in one region can have its losses offset by
policyholder premiums in other parts of the state that didn't suffer
the same disaster.
It is this large service area that has helped keep rates constant
for the last six years for policyholders, Cook said.
Pooled resources spread the risks out, and that keeps costs
stable in a time when farm families are continuing to see other
costs of operation continuing to increase.
The company is conservative, investing premium funds in CDs and
bonds. Thus their reserves are not as affected by the ups and downs
of stock market prices or other investments subject to the whims of
a volatile marketplace.
Cook said that stability and consistency are the goals of
Frontier. And for Illinois farmers, such stability in costs is as
welcomed as a wet spring and a dry fall
Some 50 independent agents throughout the Illinois service area
are associated with Frontier.
For more information, you can call 217-732-8222.
[Frontier
Mutual Insurance Co.; LDN]
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