State Farm Insurance has branch offices in Yarmouth and in Brunswick, but that left out Freeport – until now.

On Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m., Kristen Hanson State Farm will be open for business at 541 U.S. Route 1, in Freeport Plaza. Hanson and two associates, Roman Cook and Jennifer Close, will staff the Freeport State Farm office from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and by appointment on evenings and weekends.

Hanson said that State Farm takes pride in having a presence and involvement in communities, and that Freeport needed to be included.

“We had no presence in the Freeport market,” said Hanson, who is coming over to State Farm following a career as an executive for Hannaford Supermarkets. “We want more than an Internet presence. They began looking for an agent, and I said, ‘I’ll do it.’ State Farm is extremely thorough in selecting agents, so it’s a several-month process. While you’re in business for yourself, you’re not by yourself.”

Hanson said that a Freeport State Farm office only makes sense.

“It’s a town that is alive,” she said. “It’s bustling. It’s rich in heritage as well as rich in newness.”

Kristen Hanson State Farm looks forward to a relationship with the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce.

“It was on the top of my list,” Hanson said. “I’m looking forward to it wholeheartedly.”

Hanson lives in Scarborough with her husband, Ron, and two daughters. She grew up on a potato farm in Caribou, and after high school attended the University of Southern Maine, where she obtained a degree in business administration with a focus on marketing. Hanson got a job at Hannaford, where she rose to the position of a vice president.

“That’s where I cut my teeth from a leadership standpoint,” she said. “Then I wanted to do something new, and that led me to insurance.”

Hanson pointed out proudly that State Farm is the country’s No. 1 provider of auto, home and life insurance.

The Hansons also own Hanson Hometown Hardware in Old Orchard Beach.

“It was that experience in operating that store – something local that serves people in the community – that we liked,” she said. “It comes back around.”

The State Farm office space once was part of an Econo Lodge, then became office and retail space. The Freeport Econo Lodge is now at 537 U.S. Route 1.

Carolyn Krahn, member relations manager for the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce, said that State Farm Insurance is a welcome addition to Freeport.

“State Farm has a very good reputation,” Krahn said, “and I’m very happy that Kristen is in town. All her years with Hannaford, she has a lot of experience.”

Kristen Hanson