Our History
In 1887 a group of area farmers organized the Madelia Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company. The office made its home in various locations until 1915 when Farmers Home Mutual Insurance Company known as "Old Madelia" built a new office building at 114 West Main Street and the fire company shared office space with them.
Seventy years later the company built a new office located directly across the street at 111 West Main and currently operates from that building. In 1972 the company merged with the Lake Crystal Farmers Mutual Insurance company and continues to operate as Madelia-Lake Crystal Mutual Insurance Company from its home office in Madelia. The Board of Directors is comprised of 6 policyholders who reside within the area who have backgrounds in agriculture, retail, insurance and financial services.
The company is a state chartered township mutual fire insurance company which provides insurance coverage to farmers and homeowners in 12 counties in South Central Minnesota. Twenty-five local independent agencies in communities throughout the area are licensed to sell and service Madelia-Lake Crystal Mutual Insurance Company policies.
At the time of the merger of the two companies in 1972, Ruth Lee was the manager. Dale Williams became her successor upon her retirement in 1975. Jan Helling was appointed to the position of General Manager by the company's board of directors in 2005. Mr. Helling also serves as treasurer of the company. As manager and treasurer, Helling has responsibility for the underwriting and financial management of the company. John Nelson is employed as a loss control field representative, fire safety inspector and claims adjuster.
The office staff is comprised of Sue Wieland and Annie Lawrence, administrative assistants.
Together, they process renewal and endorsement requests, assist with agent and policyholder inquiries and prepare documents.
The Madelia-Lake Crystal Mutual Insurance Company continues to be one of the strongest companies of its kind in the State of Minnesota. Premium income is in excess of $800,000.00 per year and policyholder surplus is nearly $3,000,000.00. This together with reinsurance contracts provides policyholders with security and stability for their insurance policies on over $700,000,000.00 worth of property in our area.
Our Mission
To market fire and additional lines of insurance through professional insurance agents in the company's writing area by the company's Articles of Incorporation.
To provide excellent, accurate service to our Policyholders and agents with a minimum response time for all transactions or inquires, to provide our policyholders proper coverage at equitable cost; to pay all claims promptly and ethically; to offer coverage only to policyholders who maintain a high standard of ethics, integrity, and care for their property and the well-being of others; to offer our policyholders a program to prevent loss and injury.
To offer and maintain Agency Agreements with professional insurance agents based on mutually profitable conditions; to maintain trust and integrity in all transactions with our agents' to insist on prompt payment and proper handling of premiums; to maintain agents who respect and honor our Company Mission.
To provide our personnel; opportunity and challenge; opportunity for continuing education; open communication; high personal ethics and integrity from each person.
To serve the community as a corporate citizen by contributing a portion of our resources, including the time and talent of our personnel, to the betterment of the Community and its of life.
Our Staff
| Jan Helling | Manager |
| John Nelson | Loss Control/Claims Adjuster |
| Sue Wieland | Administrative Assistant |
| Annie Lawrence | Administrative Assistant |
Our Board
| Officers | |
|---|---|
| Paul S. Berg | President |
| Leland Froehling | Vice-president |
| Darin Tweit | Secretary |
| Jan Helling | Treasurer |
| Directors |
|---|
| Leon Kirchner |
| Mark Skarphol |
| Robert Luther |
| Ron Bocock |
| Dale Williams |
| Bruce Anderson |
Privacy Policy
Madelia Lake Crystal Mutual Insurance Co. will collect only the personal information necessary to conduct our business. That means what is needed to provide competitive financial products (which includes insurance policies) and services to our members.
This township mutua will protect personal information obtained from our consumers and maintain strong security controls to ensure that information in our files and computer systems is protected against unauthorized access. We will ensure accuracy and integrity of communications and transactions and protect our consumer's confidentiality.
Consumers will always have access to personal account information. You will always have the opportunity to review your personal information and make necessary changes to ensure that our records are complete and accurate.
This township mutual will only share information when absolutely necessary. We will only share information with companies with which we partner to offer additional products or services through a joint marketing effort or when required to do so by the government. For example, information may be disclosed to others, including our independent agents and brokers, to enable them to provide business services or functions for us. Such services may include helping us to evaluate requests for insurance or benefits, performing general administrative activities such as maintaining existing accounts, or to otherwise assist us in servicing or processing an insurance product or service requested or authorized by the consumer.
We will not disclose information about our customers to others without written consent unless the disclosure is necessary to conduct our business. By law, we are permitted to share information about our customers without written permission under certain circumstances and to certain person or organizations, such as:
- Our affiliated insurance companies.
- Your agent or broker.
- Parties who perform a business, professional or insurance function for our company, including our reinsurance companies.
- Independent claims adjusters, appraisers, investigators and attorneys who need the information to investigate, defend or settle a claim involving you.
- Businesses that help us with data processing or marketing.
- Other insurance companies, agents or consumer reporting agencies as reasonably necessary in connection with any application, policy or claim involving you.
- Insurance support organizations which are established to collect information for the purpose of detecting and preventing insurance crimes or fraudulent claims.
- Medical care institutions or medical professionals to verify coverage.
- Insurance regulatory agencies in conjunction with the regulation of our business.
- Law enforcement or other governmental authorities to protect our legal interests or in cases of suspected fraud or illegal activities.
- Authorized persons as ordered by a subpoena, warrant or other court order or as required by law.
- Lienholders, mortgagees, lessors or other persons shown on our recordsas having a legal or beneficial interest in your policy.
We will not share information without written permission except for items listed above. We will not, under any circumstances, sell member information to telemarketing firms.
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