ENGLEWOOD, Colo., April 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Allstate today announced it will appoint a number of new agency owners in South Dakota this year and will offer payments to people referring qualified candidates. For jobseekers looking for a new career in 2015, a role as an Allstate Agent offers the rare opportunity to own their own business while being aligned with a nationally recognized brand.

The expansion effort is expected to create nearly 10 new jobs in South Dakota including support staff. Each agent is required to have two support staff to help make sure customers are treated with efficiency and courtesy.

Allstate is looking for people with sales, customer-service and management experience to operate agencies across the state, but anyone is welcome to apply.

"With the marketplace as strong as it is, we see this as a great opportunity to invest further in South Dakota," said Gary Chitwood, Allstate's West Central Region's strategic deployment leader. "Our local field sales leader and recruiters are seeking professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit, looking to own and operate their own business with the support and guidance of the Allstate brand."

To help with recruiting, Allstate is offering up to $5,000 to people who refer a qualified candidate. The award is payable upon the appointment of the candidate as an Allstate agency owner. To find out more about the opportunity or to refer a candidate, people should call (866) 578-6362, visit www.BeTheGoodHands.com or email our local recruiter Jenica.Acome@allstate.com

"Allstate not only has a spectacular brand and exceptional support staff to train and champion new exclusive agents. Allstate is unique among most other insurers because its agents own the economic interest in their business," continued Chitwood. "Allstate agents have the option to sell the economic interest in their agency."

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate(®)." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2014, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $34 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.

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SOURCE Allstate Insurance