Great Northern Financial Services Inc., a young Spokane company that sells financial products as an agent for others, has opened four offices so far this year, is planning to open an office in Boise next week, and is eyeing an expansion into California next year.


Within the next five years, the company, which currently operates six offices but still employs only two people, expects to operate a total of 100 offices, and within the next 10 years, it hopes to operate 200 offices, says President Tony Horpel.


I think well probably stop after that, he says.


Horpel, who is one of Great Northerns two employees, founded Great Northern here in July 1996. He says that the remaining 10 workers are independent contractors who work exclusively through Great Northern and earn a commission on the financial products they sell.


The company began doing business with one office in the Spokane Valley, at 606 N. Pines. The company offers customers insured bank products, such as certificates of deposit and money market accounts that it brokers for banks nationwide; as well as insurance products and securities. Horpel says Great Northern Financial offers stocks, bonds, and mutual funds through Metropolitan Investment Securities Inc., an affiliate of Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co.


In October 1998, Great Northern Financial opened its second officein Post Falls. This February, it expanded its reach into Sandpoint, Idaho, with a new office there. A month later, the company opened an office in downtown Spokane on the second floor of the Metropolitan Financial Center, and this summer opened an outlet at 7404 N. Division. Next week, Great Northern Financial plans to move its downtown office to the South Hill, where it will occupy space at 2607 S. Southeast Blvd., Horpel says.


Now, he says, the company is done with its expansion in the Spokane area and is setting its sights on opportunities beyond the Inland Northwest.


Just this month, the company opened an office in Gig Harbor, Wash., and next week, it plans to open its first office in Southern Idahogiving the company a total of seven offices.


Early next year, Great Northern Financial plans to target the San Francisco area, Horpel says. He adds that the company expects to open its first office in the Orange County area of Southern California by next spring.


Weve grown a lot faster than I ever expected, Horpel says. Weve just taken our earnings, though, and were using that to extend our office network.