Company History From 1925 To The Present

Kane County Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company was chartered on March 17, 1925 and began doing business on June 1st of that year. The word “Farmers” was dropped from the name in 1946 as the company began insuring property in towns and villages as well as farms. The work “Fire” was dropped in 1987 when a change in state statutes allowed the company to write wind coverage in addition to fire and extended perils.

The company office has always been located in Geneva, IL. The current location, 910 Stevens Street, is only the third in its history. Originally the company shared offices with the Farm Bureau, moving to a location on South 4th street in 1956, and to its present location in 1979.

A nine-member Board of Directors, all policyholders, governs the company. The number of directors has fluctuated throughout the years, but originally there were 15 directors, one from each township in Kane Country. Directors are elected to three-year terms on the board. One third of the board is elected each year at the Annual Meeting of the company, which has always been the 4th Tuesday of January. All policyholders present at the meeting elect the directors.

The Board of Directors elects the officers of the company each year. Henry McGough from Burlington Township was the first president. Current board president, Richard Dickson, from Bristol, IL, was first elected in 2004, succeeding Robert Peterson of Maple Park who had held the office since 1986.

The board hires a person to manage the company. This person holds the office of Secretary, but is not a member of the board. W.C. McQueen was the first Secretary of the company. Eight other people have served as Secretary throughout the years with Cindy Theis the current Secretary-Treasurer since January 1, 2003.

In 1925 there were 36 policyholders insuring property with the company valued at $194,200. At the end of 2006 there were over 1800 policyholders insuring property valued at over $604,000,000. When the company was formed, insurance coverage could be written in Kane County only. Currently the company writes business in 21 counties in Northern Illinois.

Originally the directors of the company also served as the producing agents. State licensing requirements in the 1960’s changed, and two directors obtained their agent’s license and purchased all the business from the other directors. During the 1970’s the company began signing agency contracts with independent insurance producers.

Currently there are eleven independent insurance agencies representing Kane County Mutual. They are: Kane Mutual Insurance Service of Geneva, Castle Insurance Services, Inc. (formerly Zeiter-Dickson Agency) in Yorkville, Batavia Insurance Agency in Batavia, BMC Insurance (formerly the Bastian Agency) located in Hinckley and Sugar Grove, Resource Insurance Agency in Dekalb, American National Insurance of Sycamore, Fox Valley Insurance Group of St. Charles, Calfa for Insurance in Algonquin, Woellert Insurance in Spring Grove, Complete Insurance Services in Joliet, and the Allison-Lauritzen Agency in Gardner.

Kane County Mutual joined the Illinois Association of Mutual Insurance Companies in 1926 and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies in 1928. Over the years the company Secretaries have been active on committees and served on the board of directors for both organizations. In 1986 the company received the IAMIC Company Achievement Award. Former Secretary, Rose Mell, was chairman of IAMIC in 1994-1995 and received the LAUTUM Award from IAMIC in 1998. Current company Secretary-Treasurer, Cindy Theis, is serving as Secretary-Treasurer of IAMIC this year.

The company has been affiliated with Rockford Mutual Insurance Company since 1925. Initially this association was to provide policies to cover wind damage, and later to provide liability coverage. Currently, Kane County Mutual writes a combined policy with Rockford Mutual. The company provides all property coverage, and Rockford Mutual provides liability coverage to the policyholder. Rockford Mutual is also the company’s reinsurer.

The board of directors has operated the company in a conservative manner over the years, which has enabled the company to be financially strong even though it remains small. The past several years have brought many changes as family farms began disappearing from the landscape of Kane County and surrounding counties. The board and management have been progressive and have made changes to meet the needs of the community in which it operates.

The foundation of mutual insurance has always been the Golden Rule, and the company will remain faithful to that concept as it moves forward through the 21st century.

The current board of directors is:

Mission Statement

To provide quality insurance and dependable service for our policyholders that meets or exceeds their expectations.