The Collins Agency moved into the former Park City Insurance office at 1001 East Main Street in Merrill about a year ago.
Remodeling work on the building started around Thanksgiving of 2009.
The Collins Agency’s main carrier is Erie Insurance, offering auto, homeowners, renters, landlord, life, commercial and small business insurance.
Owners Kelly and Maraline Collins have been in the insurance business for many years. They formerly operated an office on Merrill’s west side for about 10 years, specializing in health insurance. They sold that business in 2009 and started their new venture out of their home.
“We opened an agency in our home and we got busy fast, so we needed a storefront,” Kelly said.
They purchased the current building from Park City Insurance and got the new office up and running.
“It’s been absolutely fantastic,” Kelly said. “Downtown Merrill has been excellent for us.”
The Collins have lived in Gleason for 20 years and operated businesses in Merrill for close to 15 years.
They particularly like helping other small businesses with their insurance needs.
“It’s neat for us to work with other small businesses because we speak the same language,” Kelly said. “For the majority of small business needs, Erie is a perfect match.”
Especially in the current economic climate, saving money is a high priority for people. The Collins Agency enjoys finding ways to help their customers cut their insurance costs.
“Erie is very competitive,” Kelly said. “We’re saving money for nine out of 10 people we see.”
For situations where another carrier’s products are a better fit for the customer, the Collins Agency is free to work with that carrier.
“We like the independence we have with Erie,” Kelly said.
The agency has grown over the past year, with new agents added to the business to better serve customers in the area.
The Collins Agency is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and other times by appointment. The agency can be reached at 715-722-0722.