Lewis Clark Insurance Co. in Newark and Mount Vernon is a local, family-owned agency dating back to 1966.
"My dad, Lewis Clark, opened the insurance agency in the back of a little grocery store," current owner Cyndi Lane told the Mount Vernon News. "My dad passed away about three years ago."
In January, the company added a second location in Mount Vernon.
The agency offers insurance for homes, autos, businesses and even churches. It also offers life insurance and annuities.
"We're independent, so we can offer choices for clients," she said. "It's not just one company. We have a lot of different carriers that we can offer to clients."
Lane started in the family business straight out of high school.
"It was just something that I always saw my dad doing and I wanted to continue his legacy," Lane said. "Now my son, Josh, has worked here for eight years and will eventually own the agency. So it's a third-generation insurance company."
Insurance, of course, has changed over the generations.
"Insurance many years ago was for catastrophic things," Lane said. "That's why insurance was created. Then the insurance companies came up with all these bells and whistles."
Lewis Clark Insurance Co. likes to meet with clients to discuss exactly what they are trying to achieve with insurance.
"We tell people that if they can afford a higher deductible, take a higher deductible," Lane said. "When your vehicle gets a little bit older, do you need coverage for physical damage on it?"
Each year, the agency discusses with customers any changes in their lives.
"Have you gotten married or divorced, have you changed jobs?" Lane said. "Have you added on to your home? Have you finished your basement? It's truly possible to have that connection with clients and truly be with them."
The agency is also active in supporting community events.
"We do flag exchanges, where people bring in their worn and tattered flags and we give them brand-new flags at no cost," Lane said. "There are a lot of service things that we do that sets up apart and makes us a little different. It's not just about selling insurance."
