| Cape Cod was a quieter
place back in 1939, when Stephen and Margaret O'Brien opened a small
insurance business in one room of their Centerville home. The Cape has
experienced extraordinary changes over the ensuing six decades, but the
guiding principles of O'Brien's Centerville Insurance Agency have remained
exactly the same. "We
still are dedicated to providing our neighbors with the best insurance
coverage to meet their needs, and with the most helpful and personal service
possible," says Steve O'Brien, who today leads the agency that his parents
founded.
Steve joined the business in
1950, the same year the agency moved to a new building on nearby Pine
Street, where it is still located. Steve's brother Jay came on board
in 1956, contributing actively until his retirement in January 2003.
Steve's son Kevin joined the family insurance team in 1981.
Gail Alcorn, Barbara Lawrie
and Brenda Kennedy round out the staff. "They may not be actual O'Brien's,"
Steve jokes, "but they fit in just like family."
According to Steve, most
O'Brien Agency clients are from Centerville, Osterville, Hyannis and other
towns throughout the mid-Cape area. "They truly are neighbors," says
Steve," many of them have been family friends as well as our clients for
generations."
The lion's share of the
agency's business is in personal, homeowners and auto insurance. "Here
on the Cape we naturally insure a good many pleasure boats," Steve says,
"and commercial policies are another important part of our mix.
Electricians, plumbers and many other small businesses depend on us for proper
liability and workers' compensation coverage."
Kevin is chiefly responsible
for the commercial side of the business. Gail specializes in
automobile coverage. Barbara Lawrie handles Homeowners and other personal lines,
and Brenda Kennedy, our newest member is our Customer Service Rep. (CSR).
An integral part of the
Centerville community, the O'Brien family and their employees are active in a
variety of civic and church affairs, participating in civic association and
library fundraisers, and Christmas strolls.
A native Cape Cod family,
the O'Brien's have lived in Centerville for four generations. Steve, his
brother and sister, their children and grandchildren all live close to one
another near the original O'Brien Agency and home. "This is our little
O'Brien Compound," says Steve, not entirely tongue in cheek.
"The O'Brien Agency has
always operated on the premise that people are more comfortable doing
business one-on-one," Steve explains. "Our clients call us directly
whenever they need assistance, confident they'll get straight answers and
helpful advice. After 66 years in the same community with the same
business philosophy, I guess we must be doing something right," he adds with
a knowing smile.
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