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The Story of Gunter Insurance You re with family

Ken Gunter 1957 The Story of Gunter Insurance The youngest of five children Ken Gunter grew up on a farm in Gunter Settlement He remained on the farm working with his father His involvement in the insurance business evolved from a relationship with Herb Wessels who operated Wessels Insurance in Wooler Besides sharing community and church they were members of the same hunting camp Ken began working with Herb and obtained his insurance license in 1946 the same year that he was married Herb and his wife Nellie and Ken and his bride Madeline were great friends travelling together to Saskatchewan in 1947 2 Herb Wessels 1956

In 1955 Ken purchased a share of the business Ken and Herb worked as partners until 1958 when Ken completed the purchase changing the name to Ken Gunter Insurance It was in this same year that Ken s father passed away Now with two full time jobs it was not unusual for Ken to be at his desk into the wee hours of the morning Madeline played a crucial role in making this work by helping with clerical duties taking messages writing receipts and occasionally inviting customers to join them for a meal or a piece of pie But the primary focus in this busy household was their children Lois and Peter Building Blocks to Success Lois Gunter 1957 Lois married John Hutchings in 1971 They lived and worked in the Brockville area she as a teacher and he as an electrical engineer until 1983 when John took a position with a company in Trenton facilitating their move back to the area with their children Karen and Scott Lois began helping Ken with the insurance business while her brother Peter worked with Ken on the farm Did Ken have a succession plan all along Lois was licensed in 1984 and the office was moved to John and Lois s home also on Gunter Settlement Road in 1988 With the office in their home John became involved in the business In the increasingly computerreliant industry John s programming skills were valuable when he was first licensed in 1990 John wrote programs to automate office Lois and John 2011 3

functions and facilitate reporting requirements Ken also had to adapt At an age when most people would be retiring he was now driving to work and learning to use the computer He never questioned whether he could do something says Lois He just did it Ken had a sincere and inherent interest in people that led to levels of trust that are rare but nonetheless very valuable in business relationships Ken had once left a policy at a client s home She was rarely home during the day but would call to say that she had received the policy and the next time he went to town to stop and pick up the cash for the premium from under a placemat on her kitchen table Personal Connections Matter Knowing the clients personally brings a new level of conscientiousness and responsibility When as Lois says you know a family for up to five generations you have a sense of each other that doesn t happen over a shorter time They didn t have to advertise since children went where their parents were insured retention was very high They enjoyed seeing the next generation growing up and shared the excitement when a young person came for their first auto app often the beginning of a lifelong relationship Ken would tell them to remember that for every mile of road there are 1991 two miles of ditches 4

Talking with clients personally and often in their own homes can sometimes reveal information that could impact their premiums or coverages Understanding people is also important to understanding on paper risks On paper a risk like a wood stove might look safe because it says it s in good condition but without a comprehension of how to manage fires it isn t actually as good as it looks on paper Just like someone owning a woodstove in subpar condition but with superior training around fire would Ken and Madeline 2000 pose a safer risk The role of Gunter Insurance is to say We know these people and to understand that to know the people is to know the risk Good physical risk and good knowledge of how to use it is a balance and it s all about relationships They don t insure properties without looking at them but they also want to know who they re insuring Generations On In later years Ken expressed his surprise and pleasure that his grandchildren Karen and Scott would carry on the family business They each had college diplomas and diverse job experience before becoming involved in the insurance business Scott went to college for digital animation but didn t like where it was headed working in several places afterwards including a factory He became an employee in 2007 while still working part time managing a music store and became licensed the following year The transition was smooth and felt to him like leaving employment to go hang out with his parents The benefit of homecooked meals became a perk that not even the fortuitous arrangement with HTM could improve upon 5

Karen followed a little later becoming an employee in 2010 and broker licensed in 2012 Her natural people skills were well suited to the jobs she held as a receptionist and running a day care business to stay home with her son Karen s skill set closely Scott Hutchings 2016 resembled Lois s while Scott s more resembled John s making for seamless transitions In both cases one plus one equals three one personality complements the other In 2013 both Ken and Madeline passed away and John and Lois were easing themselves out of the office routine The name was changed from Ken Gunter Insurance to Gunter Insurance in 2014 to account for the wider representation of the family Working Together Karen Sero 2018 Both Karen and Scott enjoy the diverse aspects of their profession The nature of the business meant that they each learned to handle all aspects including banking inspections applications endorsements and the list goes on The job is broad and operating out of their own home meant very little overhead Being such a small brokerage they have the chance to hear customer feedback on a personal scale which Karen enjoys as long as it s good and takes pride in hearing clients say they don t care who their insuring 6

company is as long as their brokerage is Gunter Insurance The focus on relationships and integrity is what has driven the business for its many decades It wasn t their objective to expand or have multiple offices they earned a decent living and sized the business so that they were in control The mindset centered on quality not quantity When it came to being an insurance broker the two main things Lois enjoyed most were helping people and making people s lives easier in some way She finds meaning in the teaching aspect of passing along information to customers in a way they can understand finding solutions for them and putting their minds at ease It s nothing to do with insurance it s a relationship This is part of the reason why the union with HTM is so natural there is the same emphasis on keeping good relationships It also worked out practically Gunter s had sold insurance for HTM and Aviva fulfilling the requirement for Ontario brokerages to sell for at least two carriers but Aviva cancelled Gunter s contract in May 2019 due to new minimum volume requirements Being purchased by HTM to work in the capacity of agents worked beautifully not to mention Lois and John were freed up to retire and to leave the running of the agency to Karen and Scott Ken with Karen and Scott 1982 7

A Legacy Ken Gunter s little insurance business has endured through sixty one years of changes helped along by consistent family oriented thinking Ken who died within weeks of his wife is remembered as a hardworking father and grandfather who established a way of life that is still enjoyed by his family today Scott Karen Ken Lois and John on the occasion of Ken and Madeline s 65th wedding anniversary in 2011 8

We re so proud to have partnered with Gunter Insurance a company with determination and a mutual spirit that endures You re with family 9

You re with family HTMinsurance ca