When you think of Hartford, Connecticut you think of insurance. What do you think of when you think of Lansing, Michigan? Perhaps nothing comes to mind.
The civic boosters of Lansing would like you to think of insurance, thank you very much. They aren’t alone, and they definitely have a case to make. With a population of around 115,000, the fact that about 7,500 work in the insurance business is getting some notice.
Jackson National Life Insurance has already filled a 314,000-square-foot headquarters building and has begun construction on another 225,000 square feet. The company employs 2,600 today, and will grow to fill its new building. Accident Fund Insurance has a new $182 million headquarters.
According to the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), big insurance employers include:
Learn more about the 10 best insurance employers to work for in the US in this article.
Lori Conarton, communications director for the Insurance Institute of Michigan, says the area has long been a regional insurance hub, but that it is really getting some momentum now. She said there are several colleges in the area that offer insurance programs and that there is even a program that allows high school students to work in the business and earn high school credit as well as up to 9 college credits, all while getting paid.
“Anyone who graduates from one of the insurance programs is pretty well guaranteed of getting a job when they graduate,” she said.
Bob Trezise, president and CEO of LEAP, said “the Lansing region is emerging as a global insurance hub for a number of reasons not the least of which is because we have locally grown, Fortune 500 insurance national headquarters right here that are in major growth patterns.
“Lansing is a capital city, at our legislative doorstep, with a favorable state regulatory climate,” he added. “All of these factors add up to a Lansing region that is a rising global star and an extraordinarily competitive landscape for insurance companies to make more money here.”
