Allstate opens in Dickinson

Kristi Schwartz of Dickinson opened an Allstate Insurance Company agency downtown May 1.

"Our office is going to provide excellent customer service for our customers," she said. "They can basically get all of their insurance needs through us. We sell life, financial products like annuities, 401Ks and both term and whole life as well as property (and) auto. We also sell commercial, so if they have a business, we can help them there."

Schwartz along with sales producers Kathy Olin and Dawn Boyd are "anxious to serve the residents in Dickinson," she said.

"I, myself switched to Allstate because it was a lot more affordable for me than the company I was currently with," Boyd said. "It will definitely be the most helpful, I would think, because that's what our company is based off of -- being customer-friendly."

Schwartz added the company provides a "great claim service."

She is a Wyoming native who was manager of Walmart in Dickinson for 15 years.

"When I resigned from Walmart, that was my quest was to go into business for myself," Schwartz said.

She was unsure of what route she would go until approached by an Allstate recruiter.

"I thought 'you know that might work pretty well because we don't have an Allstate agent here in Dickinson,'" Schwartz said. "People need insurance and I know Allstate is a well-recognized brand."

She hopes to grow her new business.

"I hope to eventually expand in other locations in western North Dakota," Schwartz said. "My long-term goal within the next five years is to have maybe one or two satellite offices."

The Allstate Foundation is committed to giving back to communities, Stephanie Howell, senior communications consultant said from her Englewood, Colo. office.

"The Allstate Foundation has done all sorts of research around safe driving for teens -- in particular, encouraging teens to put down the cell phone and ex the text," Howell said. "The more we can do around educating people and teens in particular about the dangers the better off we all are for it."

A grand opening for Schwartz's business, including a ribbon cutting ceremony, begins May 23 and will include prizes and refreshments served throughout that week.

Allstate is open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday and anytime by appointment.

"The nice thing about having Allstate behind us is if they were to call in after hours when we aren't here, if they don't want to leave a message they can talk to a live Allstate representative," Schwartz said. "It's not an automated recording that they get."

Allstate Insurance Company is at 37 W. First St. To contact the company, call 701-483-0760.