A new Country Financial office has opened its doors in downtown Hastings, bringing a family run insurance and financial planning business closer to the community its owner has long called home.
Mandy Bremer recently relocated her office to 219 Sibley St., moving operations from Cannon Falls to Hastings after several years of planning the transition. The move reflects both professional growth and personal roots in the city.
“It’s been my goal since I started, which was in 2021 to eventually office here in town,” Bremer said.
Bremer purchased the business from her father, who spent decades building the agency before retiring last March. The transition marked the continuation of a second-generation family operation, with Bremer’s sister also working in the office.
“He was in the business for about 45 years,” Bremer said. “And for about 35 of those years, he officed in Rosemount.”
The business later relocated to Cannon Falls in 2018, where it operated for about six years before the recent move to Hastings. Bremer said the opportunity to settle into the Sibley Street location came together quickly after she saw a listing for the former salon space.
“I saw a posting from Barb Hollenbeck on Facebook about the old Adele space in Hastings, which is right on Sibley Street, and I jumped on it.”
The transition from salon to financial services office required only modest updates. Cabinets and sink features were removed, and the team created a back-office area using bookshelves while setting up workstations and a reception space in front.
Bremer credited her college age son and his friends with helping move equipment into the new location, describing the process as manageable with the right help.
The Hastings office includes a small team of three. Bremer focuses on financial planning and life insurance, while her sister and office manager Samantha handle property and casualty coverage such as homeowners and auto insurance.
“We offer every, really, every type of financial protection that one could want,” Bremer said.
Services include personal insurance, business owner policies, employee benefit related coverage, and retirement planning options for individuals and employers. The agency also supports programs such as simple IRA plans for businesses.
Although the office is new to Sibley Street, Bremer’s ties to Hastings go back more than two decades. She moved to the community in 2003 and has remained active through local schools, events, and business organizations.
“I joined the chamber in Hastings right away in 2021 and have been really fortunate to form some great relationships,” she said.
That involvement has included sponsoring community events and participating in local initiatives. Bremer also supports youth athletics and helped launch a recreation and police partnership program that is entering its fourth year.
“It’s really grown, and it’s just been fantastic,” she said.
The agency is licensed to operate in several states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, and Arizona, allowing Bremer to assist clients with second homes or seasonal residences.
“With people having cabins and second homes, you know, it was a natural transition to go from Minnesota to Wisconsin or Iowa and then snowbirds, obviously, are why I cover Arizona and Colorado,” she said.
To celebrate the move, the office will host a ribbon cutting and grand opening on Thursday, April 23, from 3 to 6 p.m., with the ribbon cutting scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Community members are invited to stop in, meet the team, and tour the new space.
“We’ll have some snacks and refreshments, and we’re really excited to invite everyone in,” Bremer said.
For Bremer, the new office represents both a business milestone and a return to the community she has long considered home, with plans to continue building relationships and supporting local programs in the years ahead.