But service to clients continues to rely on the same values at this fifth-generation Texas agency “Insurance will be the next big industry.” That’s what W. G. Garrett Jr. and L. D. Garrett heard when they mustered out of World War I. But they both had other jobs, working for Captain Schreiner at a general merchandise store in their hometown of Kerrville, Texas. It was one of the first businesses
Agency of the Month
2017 Agency of the Year Congratulations SAVA Insurance Group, Inc. For nearly three decades, remarkable independent agencies have graced the cover of Rough Notes magazine. And each year, one such agency is named the Rough Notes Agency of the Year. We view them as the best of the best—agencies that stand out among the standouts. This year’s Agency of the Year is Waterford, Connecticut-based SAVA Insurance—a woman-owned agency that happens
Guided by heart, woman-owned Connecticut agency thrives Nearly twenty years ago, Donna Yother took the game-changing step of purchasing SAVA Insurance from the retiring owner, overturning a tradition of male dominance in insurance agency ownership. But her journey to agency ownership—and preparation for her ownership moment—began more than a decade earlier, when she started working part-time “mom hours” while her children were young. “Technology also allowed us to respond quickly.
Ohio agency sees its high-performing culture as its most significant differentiator The O’Neill Group, Wadsworth, Ohio, traces its roots back to 1924, but gained its current appellation when Patrick O’Neill purchased the agency in 1991. Although he graduated with a degree in accounting, Patrick wanted to go into the insurance business where he could better use his entrepreneurial and sales skills. His dad worked for Westfield Insurance Company and knew
ESOP brings teammates together at this Mississippi agency Now that’s a big family—116 people and counting! “Our leadership puts others before themselves,” says Ross & Yerger Vice President and Personal Lines Group Leader Jordan Bryan, API. “They’re willing to do anything to help out any of our people, and that’s contagious. It contributes to the family-like atmosphere that pervades our agency. “And it is our agency,” she emphasizes. “I come
