I hope I don’t offend anyone, but I’ve always thought insurance was boring. It’s one of those necessary evils of life with endless forms and deductibles and all kinds of other things I don’t understand. Because it doesn’t interest me.
But there’s a new guy in Claremore who is determined to make insurance as fun, sexy and interesting as possible.
His name is Grant Gingerich, and he’s a State Farm agent.
Grant is originally from Nowata. After high school, he attended Oklahoma State as an Ag Business major. He then went to work for Mid-America Farm & Ranch in Talala. While there, he continued his education, earning a Master’s degree from Oklahoma Wesleyan. He had a dream of opening his own business, but he wasn’t sure which direction he wanted to go. A friend suggested he look into State Farm, but he was incredibly busy with his job. Then came the fundraiser.
He was in charge of an event at Mid-America called “Faithful Farmers and Feed Stores Feeding Families”, (say that five times fast) in which they collected food to feed their goal of 25 families. They ended up feeding more than 70. Grant’s friend from State Farm came back around and said that the fundraiser was the essence of what State Farm does. It would give him a chance to get involved in the community and help others. Grant decided the time for change was right, and with his wife, Melissa, moved to the town he’d always adored: Claremore.
Grant’s a hard worker. Growing up in a rural area with a love of the agriculture industry almost makes that a given. With a wife from Kansas City who had never driven on a gravel road until she visited Nowata, Claremore seemed like the ideal compromise. He’s always been a fan of the town, and said it’s the perfect mix of rural and city. It’s got the feel of a small town with all the necessary amenities, and plenty of good, honest folks.
The opportunity with State Farm is giving Grant the chance to not only be a self-employed businessman, but allowing him to run that business as he chooses. He’s dedicated to motivating his team, and his strong morals and code of ethics combined with his hard-working nature almost guarantees him success. He’s also got that goal of making insurance fun, sexy and interesting, remember?
Grant and Melissa moved to town in December 2014. The newest branch of State Farm opened on February 1. It’s located at 653 W. Claremore, just north of our friend Sally at Rusted Rabbit Resale. While the exterior of the office is an unassuming metal building, the inside is bright, fresh and modern, decorated in State Farm red and gray, with plenty of glass and Route 66 memorabilia. The conference room is affectionately known to the staff as “the fieldhouse,” and it’s where they hold daily morning meetings to get pumped up and ready to tackle the insurance world through training, practice and preparation.
I’m going to let you in on a few things I didn’t know before I met with Grant. There is a lot more to State Farm than just insurance: auto, life, all that jazz. They also handle financial services such as banking (there’s an app for that!), 401Ks and home mortgages. I chatted with Grant last week, and over the course of a 30-minute phone call, he had all the info he needed to get an approval letter for my home loan, which was sitting in my inbox in just a couple of hours. This was near closing time on a Friday, during a snowstorm. Who’s dedicated to customers? I’d say Grant Gingerich is.
In the three years Grant has been in town, he’s jumped into community affairs with both feet. He is active with the United Way, Claremore Collective, Claremore Chamber, and the Partners in Education program, where the staff helps out at Justus-Tiawah.
Today, Grant has a staff of five. Dallas West has been with Grant for slightly more than 2.5 years. She is a producer and agent aspirant, which means she’ll be a State Farm agent herself one day. Staesha Kennedy has been an account manager for a year and a half. Sales leader Ellie Lillie is closing in on her one-year anniversary with the company. Sarah Adcock joined Grant as a producer three months ago, and the new kid on the block is Brandon Wofford, also a producer.
For more information on State Farm and Grant, visit their website at grantismyagent.com, follow them on facebook, or give them a call at 918-283-2886. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9a – 5p, and Tuesday/Thursday from 9a – 7p.
Keep it local, Claremore.
-MCM Staffer Ashley,
who thinks insurance
is slightly less boring now,
mainly because Grant’s office
has free Jolly Ranchers
