Company History

A Journey Through Our Insurance Legacy

On April 5, 1885 the Michigan Mutual Tornado, Cyclone and Windstorm Company was founded by Daniel Webster (D.W.) Rogers. Today, Hastings Insurance Company is an award-winning organization with financial stability rivaled by few in the industry. Serving multiple Midwest states, we are proud to be Michigan-based, with the opportunity to help protect those beyond our state lines.

D.W.Rogers - Founder

Our Foundations

While our company started in 1885, our real story dates back to 1880. In that year and in 1882, tornadoes tore through parts of the small community of Hastings, Michigan, destroying over $225,000 worth of property. At the time, this was nearly 500 times the cost of a new home. D.W. Rogers, a local farmer, took action. At his request, his brother, state legislator Jeremiah Rogers, sponsored a bill legalizing the formation of windstorm insurance companies in Michigan, which became law in February of 1885.

From there, the Michigan Mutual Tornado, Cyclone and Windstorm Insurance company was born! Two years after its foundation, the Windstorm Company's directors decided to extend their business statewide. The next eighteen or so years were marked by substantial growth and prosperity, never having to levy an assessment on members, and significant financial stability.

Hastings, Michigan after 1882 windstorm

Setting Precedents

As the company continued to grow, the directors began enacting measures of modernization to keep pace with development, while maintaining the ideals of personalized service to all members. This approach proved to be successful, and by 1925, the Windstorm Company was the second largest mutual windstorm company in the world.

At its 50^th anniversary, the Windstorm Company’s wisdom of building up reserve funds and financial stability was recognized, across the board. This practice actually became a Michigan Law, in 1938, "requiring mutual insurance companies to provide a sinking fund." We set the precedence for insurers that exists to this day.

When a devastating tornado on Palm Sunday 1953, killed 190 people in Michigan and Ohio, the Windstorm Company felt it could help prevent injuries and loss of life, even if it couldn't prevent the damage from the storms. The company sponsored an early warning system for tornadoes, which relied on radio initially, and then was adopted by television.

Rooted in Compassion

In the late 1950s, with its history of success and customer-centric focus, the company was the largest windstorm insurer in the state and second in the world, with over $1 billion at risk. With its size and awareness, the company renamed itself Hastings Mutual Insurance Company, in 1959. This paved the way to begin writing General Insurance. Once Hastings Mutual became a General Line insurance company, it was necessary to have Agents who were qualified and licensed by the state. The company sponsored a school and brought in 80 to 90 Agents for training. To this day, Hastings still sponsors Agent “schools” across our lines of business, to help facilitate learning and communication.

Our goals as a company are rooted in compassion for our Policyholders, Employees, and Agents, which continues today. In 2004, the Hastings Mutual Insurance Company Charitable Foundation was established as a non-profit organization to help financially challenged families. To date, the Charitable Foundation has donated more than $2.49 million to local communities. Focus on our customers and our communities remains the cornerstone of our day-to-day operations.

Hastings Insurance Commercial School

There for Our Customers

Expansion continued through the close of the 20^th century. The home office completed a second building expansion in 1991, Hastings entered new states, and, by 1999, launched its first website. Expansion led to continual improvements, and in 2015, Hastings Mutual began the process for implementing new policy administration and billing platforms. We introduce new tools for our Agents regularly, so they can spend less time managing paperwork and more time serving their customers.

We’re there for our customers, no matter what’s happening in the world. We gave back to policyholders when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic arose. We respond to changes in laws and environmental conditions whenever they affect the insurance industry or our valued clients.

In 2024, we made the landmark decision to change our name and branding to fit our modern space. Now known as Hastings Insurance Company, we honor our roots in Hastings, Michigan, but with a brand that is built to carry us further into the future.

For well over 135 years, Hastings Insurance Company has built an outstanding reputation based on quality customer service and agile insurance products, backed by stable company finances. We are proud of our past and are ready to look beyond – into a progressive future of serving you!