State Farm Looks to the Future as It Turns 90

BLOOMINGTON - Ninety years ago this week, a McLean County farmer got tired of paying the same insurance rates as people in Chicago.

So he started his own company.

And today, that company is America's leading insurer and McLean County's largest employer... State Farm Insurance in Bloomington.

This week, it's celebrating its anniversary by reflecting on its heritage and looking at its future.

The company said Tuesday it doesn't have any immediate plans to grow in size, but it is looking to grow its customer base to stay competitive.

One way State Farm hopes to do that is by taking advantage of emerging forms of social media and technology.

Vice-President of Public Affairs David Beigie said, "It's really trying to change with the times.  So as technology comes into our world, we're working very hard to make sure we're bringing that to our policy holders.  So there's a lot of work on that lately."

If drive by State Farm on Tuesday night, you'll see an interesting sight.

Two of its buildings in Bloomington will be lit up with phrases like "90SF."