National insurance agency opens downtown Grand Rapids office, brings three new jobs to city

The Danielle Rowland Agency has opened downtown Grand Rapids' only State Farm Insurance office and brought three new jobs to the area.

Rowland, 39, established the office at 32 Market SW in August with two full-time licensed representatives and added a third in September.

With 15 years' experience in the mortgage loan industry, Rowland says it was a short leap to the insurance business. She's been considering the change for the past three years and joined State Farm in 2008.

"I wanted to own my own business and with State Farm I'm an independent contractor, so it gives me the opportunity to have my own agency," she says. "I wanted to be in a business where I could develop long-term relationships with clients."

Rowland and her husband Louie transferred to Grand Rapids from Fort Wayne, Indiana 12 years ago when Rowland became a branch manager for Waterfield Financial. The couple has two young children.

"We love Grand Rapids and this is now our home," Rowland says. "I wanted the agency to be downtown because I think there is so much going on here with lots of people in the neighborhood that we can serve."

The agency offers life and health insurance, property and casualty coverage and business insurance. Rowland is a registered representative which allows her to sell State Farm Mutual Funds.

"You can do things online if you want to," she says, "but if you want somebody to take care of things face-to-face, we're right here."

Source: Danielle Rowland, Danielle Rowland Agency; Molly Klimas, Intent PR

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].