Personal service since 1952
By Jason Zasky
Serving the needs of Maury County — and beyond — since 1952.
By Jason Zasky
If there is one word that epitomizes Foster Insurance Agency, it's longevity.
"The business opened in 1952, and we have been at our current location for 15 years," begins owner Michael Ford, who has been working in the insurance business since 1978 and has had an ownership stake in Foster Insurance since the mid-1990s.
"We don't have much turnover here," he says, noting that office manager/agent Nikki Oliver has been working alongside him for eight years, having replaced Mary Sue Dalton, who worked at the agency for nearly five decades. "That tells you a lot about us," he adds, describing the six-person office as a "close-knit family."
In fact, one of the individuals working with Mike Ford at the agency is family — that being his son Jimmy, who focuses on commercial insurance.
"We do homeowners, auto, and life insurance, but commercial insurance is our bread and butter," clarifies the elder Ford. "We write everything from helicopters to bulldozers, so there is not a whole lot left out when it comes to dealing with equipment. We also write workers comp insurance and write a couple government entities, as well as performance and surety bonds for jobs. Also, I'm a farmer, and we write (policies) for quite a few farms around here," he offers, before noting that his son has attracted a lot of aviation business, thanks in part to his experience as a pilot.
Nor is the agency's business restricted to Maury County — or even Middle Tennessee.
"Our service area is the entire state of Tennessee, but we are also licensed in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and we have business in all those states. In fact, one of our largest accounts is based in Palm Beach, and we write quite a few homeowners and condominiums in Florida," clarifies Ford, having indicated that his son will eventually take full ownership of the business.
That said, Mike Ford says he has no plans to retire, or to cut back on the work he does in the local community.
"I'm in Rotary (Club) and deliver Meals on Wheels," he says, while he and his wife and colleagues also support Special Olympics, Miracle League of Columbia, and The People's Table, among other organizations.
Yet the welfare of his family — and the agency's customers — are never far from his mind.
"We're open five days a week, but Jimmy and I put our personal cell phone numbers on our business cards because we want people to be able to get ahold of us," he explains. "You will get one of us — always. I may not answer the moment you call, but when I hear the phone ring, I am going to call you back. We take care of our customers," he insists, something he hopes to continue to do till the day he dies.
"I love the business, and I have no intention of giving it up totally, even when I don't have any ownership. I hope they will still let me come in every day," he quips.
And, as a lifelong resident of Columbia, it's hard for him to imagine living or working anywhere else.
"I love the business, and I lead a good life here, and I think all (six of us) would say the same thing. We don't have many dissatisfied customers — ever," he concludes. "If we can't do it right, we're not going to do it."
CONTACT:
Foster Insurance Agency Inc.
204 W 4th St.
Columbia, Tennessee 38401
Phone: 931-388-8365