The Charles group.
As most of the country is in the throes of winter, Arizonans are having fun on the golf courses and tennis courts, experiencing beautiful temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
The Charles Company & Associates, Inc., began on one of those tennis courts 30 years ago as two friends decided to combine their construction and insurance knowledge to start a personal lines agency in one of the many new active adult retirement communities in Sun Lakes, Arizona.
President and CEO Alice Schroeder has been with The Charles Company & Associates since it began in 1982. Focusing solely on personal lines, the agency originally got started by insuring homes in the Sun Lakes development while they were under construction and offering to convert the policies after closing. The agency rounded out its accounts with auto and umbrella insurance and retained business through great customer service, growing through referrals from existing customers.
In 1994, Alice’s husband, Karl Schroeder, started working with her to sell life products to The Charles Company’s clients.
One of the many things that make The Charles Company great is the consistency of its staff and their more than 100 years of combined experience. Ann Ryan, the agency administrative assistant, has been with the company 15 years and keeps things running smoothly. Producer Carrie Hines joined the agency in 1994 with Nancy Grube joining the team in 2005, both providing great service and value to their clients.
Despite being the junior member of the team, Nancy is responsible for teaming up Auto-Owners and The Charles Company. Prior to joining the agency, Nancy worked for other agencies in Wisconsin and Arizona and learned to love Auto-Owners over the years. When she began with The Charles Company she asked Alice to look into an appointment with Auto-Owners.
Alice said that Nancy “kept pushing” and Auto-Owners joined a select group of company partners for the agency in September 2005. Since then the agency has grown steadily, becoming a Top 10 agency in 2011 and 2012.
Both Auto-Owners and The Charles Company are committed to doing business the old fashioned way, focusing on relationships and outstanding customer service.
The Charles Company is also a great member of the community and has participated in many programs to help others including local food drives and supporting local golf tournaments and softball teams. They also support a backpack program for underprivileged youth, as well as local ice cream socials and pancake breakfasts for various charities. The agency is currently working on a program entitled Quote for Cause where a donation will be made to Neighbors Who Care, a local charity, for every quote provided by the agency.
It is a privilege for Auto-Owners to be able to team up with great agencies and The Charles Company & Associates is one of the best.