Business Insurance in Willmar and Olivia, Minnesota

Insurance options we offer

We place commercial insurance for west central Minnesota businesses through several carriers rather than quoting one company's rate, so the policy matches how your shop, crew or storefront actually runs instead of how a rate sheet assumes it does.


Tell us how the work gets done and we will build the coverage from there.

We Already Insure Businesses Like Yours in Kandiyohi County

Business insurance in Kandiyohi County covers a wider range of work than most people outside the area expect. The accounts we write from our two offices include:


  • Main-street retail shops and restaurants in downtown Willmar
  • Contractors and trades running crews and equipment across Kandiyohi and Renville counties
  • Manufacturers and machine shops on the edge of town
  • LP gas dealers and petroleum marketers serving farm country
  • Breweries, wineries, nonprofits and technology firms


Johannes Agency has been locally owned and independent since 1992, when the agency started in farm coverage out of Olivia. Because we are independent, we shop your account across multiple carriers, and because we work here, we know what a west central Minnesota job site, kitchen or delivery route actually looks like. Stop into our Willmar office or the Olivia office, or call and a person will pick up.

Insurance options we offer

Coverage That Supports Your Business

Two workers in hard hats reviewing blueprints at a construction site
Three people talking beside fuel pumps at a gas station, with a yellow canopy overhead.

Commercial Property Insurance

Covers your building, equipment and inventory.


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Open-plan office with desks, monitors, a person working, and plants by a bright window.

General liability insurance

Responds to claims of property damage or bodily injury, including the cost of defending them.


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Smiling truck driver in a cap and dark jacket leaning on a semi-truck beside a highway
Yellow backhoe loader digging a dirt trench beside a road in a rural area

Coverage Built for Your Industry

Two businesses can carry the same five coverage lines and still need very different policies. We write nine industry programs, each set up around the exposures that trade brings:



If your trade is on that list, the coverage conversation starts further along. See all of our industry programs to find yours.

Built Around Your Account, Not Off a Rate Sheet

Commercial accounts here get placed through multiple carriers, so the quote reflects what your business does rather than what one company happens to be pricing. We ask how the work runs, who drives what, where the equipment sits overnight and who you sign contracts with, then build the coverage from those answers.


Small-town service, on accounts of any size. Call the Willmar office at 320-235-2540 or the Olivia office at 320-523-1150 during business hours and a person will answer.

Common Questions From Minnesota Business Owners

  • What insurance does a small business in Minnesota need?

    Minnesota requires workers' compensation once a business has an employee, and any vehicle titled to the business needs commercial auto coverage. Beyond what the law requires, most small businesses carry general liability and commercial property, and many add inland marine for tools and equipment that leave the shop. Contracts and leases often set their own limits, so bring those along when you ask for a quote.

  • Are general liability and workers' compensation the same thing?

    No. General liability responds when someone outside your business is hurt or their property is damaged by your operations. Workers' compensation covers your own employees when they are injured on the job, and Minnesota requires it. Most businesses with employees carry both.

  • When does my business need commercial auto instead of a personal auto policy?

    Once a vehicle is titled to the business, used to haul tools and materials, or driven for deliveries and service calls, a personal policy can leave the claim unpaid. Commercial auto also covers employees driving on your behalf. If you are unsure which side of the line a truck falls on, tell us how it gets used and we will look at it.

  • How much does business insurance cost for a small shop in Minnesota?

    Cost depends on your payroll, your trade, your revenue, the property and vehicles you own, and the claims history behind the account. A two-person retail shop and a six-person contracting crew with a truck fleet price very differently. Because we quote through multiple carriers, we can show you what several companies come back with side by side.

  • How fast can I get a certificate of insurance?

    Call either office during business hours and in most cases we can issue a certificate the same day. If a general contractor or a property owner has specific wording or additional insured requirements, send that request over and we will match it. This is one of the most common reasons our clients call, and it is why a person answers the phone at both offices.