Ill. Country Financial enters Chicago market, adds Fisher as director

Veteran Chicago financial services executive Michael Fisher has been appointed director of new market development by Country Insurance & Financial Services and will manage its newly created Chicago district office. Fisher’s hiring as director of new market development accelerates the organization’s plans to offer insurance and investment products in Chicago for the first time in its 80-year history.

Bloomington, Ill-based Country Financial said it plans to open an 8,000-square-foot Chicago district office at 55 W. Monroe in June. The office will be fully staffed to handle marketing, claims and underwriting to support its Chicago-based agents.

Additional branch offices will open in the Chicago neighborhoods of Beverly, Bridgeport and Clearing this year.

The company plans to have 20 Chicago locations and about 100 employees. The company will immediately recruit within Chicago for its agent work force. It expects to serve the entire city by 2009.

“Our strategy in recent years has been to diversify from our traditional base in small town and suburban Illinois into other U.S. geographic market. With much of this expansion strategy accomplished and with a growing presence just outside of Chicago, we believe the time is right for our move into the city,” says John Blackburn, Country’s CEO.