Security Benefit Life Insurance Co., a Topeka, Kan.-based annuity provider, will soon open a Des Moines location in the East Village. The company will occupy the top floor of the building at 400 E. Court Ave. in the Capitol Center III complex. “Our company recognizes that it must be in Des Moines, the nation’s insurance capital in order to attract experienced employees to further our strong growth,” Bill McDonough, head of institutional products, said in an email. McDonough said he started the buildout of Security Benefit’s Des Moines presence in 2021. Founded in 1892, the company has grown to $45.9 billion in assets under management, becoming one of the leaders in the U.S. retirement market. Security Benefit offers annuities and mutual fund programs to school district educators and administrators, individual consumers, retirement plan participants in small to midsized businesses, and high net worth individuals. The company has a 20-year-long relationship with the National Education Association to provide retirement savings products to its nearly 3 million members and educators, according to its website. The company currently employs about 35 people in Des Moines and is outpacing its plan to grow to 75 employees over the next five years, McDonough said. Security Benefit is partnering with Shyft to on an office remodel, which is expected to be complete sometime in the second quarter.