Smith Sawyer Smith Agency has been serving clients since 1925—nearly a century! Can you share what you believe has been the key to the agency’s longevity and success?  

The agency has always been loyal and actively involved with the City of Rochester and our surrounding Fulton County communities. As a family-owned business, now in our hundredth year, we are blessed to be working with our fourth generation of family involvement. Consistence has certainly been a big part of our longevity and success. For most of our existence (1925 to 2010) our address never changed and for many years the Fulton County License Branch was located in the front of our office. Most county residents became used to walking in our front door. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the longtime employees that have worked in our office as well. I believe the consistent downtown location, the familiar faces of long-term employees and providing a high standard of service have been instrumental in both the longevity and success of our insurance agency.

As one of the Midwest's earliest full-service insurance agencies, what do you think distinguishes Smith Sawyer Smith in today’s competitive market?  

Like any other business, the insurance industry has certainly seen its share of change. It is essential to keep a long-term plan in place and yet stay nimble enough to make quick changes when necessary. The use of technology has allowed us to do both. The agency was certainly ahead of the technological curve in our industry as we first started using computers in 1972 for accounting purposes and for communicating with insurance companies. In the move to our new location at the corner of 8^th and Main in 2010, we have run over 2 miles of cable in order to handle the technology needed to operate our different locations. While Rochester/Fulton County will always be the center of our agency, we are licensed to do business in all 50 states and have multiple locations throughout the Midwest. As an independent insurance agency, we have the ability to work with hundreds of different insurance companies and the ability to ensure almost anything you can dream of.

As you approach your 100th anniversary, what exciting plans or goals do you have for the agency?

The long-term goal never changes. We are dedicated to our local community and plan on being a viable locally owned insurance agency for a long time. In the short term, this is going to be a fun and exciting year. We are in the process of putting plans together for our year long celebration. You will just have to wait to get the details. We have community events being planned, we have employee celebrations being planned and are looking forward to sharing with our community in 2025.

How do you stay connected and give back to the communities that have supported your growth?

Being part of a small community is a blessing. My dad, Wayne Smith, taught us to “take care of the community that takes care of us”. To that end, the agency and agency staff are dedicated to the local community and to the service organizations that serve Fulton County. Whether that be through the Chamber, local schools, Woodlawn Hospital, local government, civic organizations, non-profits, or churches we want our staff to be involved. Staff is encouraged to participate in their special interests and provided time off during the workday to increase participation. That is a true win/win situation.

How can Fulton County residents get ahold of you?

The agency has a number of ways to contact us. The main telephone number is 574-223-2166. You may use the agency website (www.smithsawyerins.com) or Facebook. Perhaps the best way is to walk in our front door (729 Main Street) to just say hello or take care of a little business!