COMPANY COVERED PROFILE
CEK Insurance started in 1931 when Clif Calvin and Joe Traylor received a $ 15 loan to establish the agency and set up a trailer in downtown Lawrence to start their business . This year the CEK team celebrates its 90th anniversary while remaining true to its goal of remaining a thriving , locally-owned agency whose success is driven by being engrained in the community it serves . Since its humble beginnings , CEK has grown to three locations in Lawrence , Topeka , and Gladstone , MO ., with 35 employees . We sat down with members of the CEK ownership team to discuss the agency ’ s journey .
Milestone Moments
There have been significant milestones along the way for CEK , but probably none more significant than the transitioning of agency ownership to its fourth generation of local owners . Changes in ownership and perpetuation can be challenging , especially if it is not a family-owned transition . “ Transitions can be hard ,” says Mark Buhler . “ It is not only the transition of the ownership of agency stock but filling the void of owners leaving with decades of experience of working together to manage the agency .” Most recently , within an approximately six-year period , from 2012-2018 , nearly 90 % of the agency ’ s stock was transferred to new owners at a time when acquisitions were presenting extremely generous valuations . Chris Hutchens added , “ There was a decision made on both sides , between new and old owners , to keep CEK as a locally-owned agency , which I believe was a tremendous milestone and one of our strongest legacies .”
The management team has worked on logical transition plans for all the owners to solidify their commitment to maintaining the agency as a locally owned business . In addition , it has expanded the number of owners over time from three employees to seven , which will aid in its ability to keep the agency employee-owned well into the future . TJ Brennan commented , “ We are very intentional and continually keep an eye on perpetuating the agency by identifying and bringing on strong producers that have a path to future ownership .”
“ I think that having owners of different age groups makes perpetuation with the goal of staying locally-owned easier , and it also offers a stabilizing effect on the agency ,” added Tracy Cullers .
Marty Yost summed it up with , “ There have been many milestones over time . Yet what really stands out for the agency has been the moments of transition of ownership over the four generations , the willingness to put a priority on being locally-owned , and the planning that goes into making sure that there is a perpetuation process in place .”
Tom Karasek added , “ These transitions have allowed employees to continue to live where they want to live and to be deeply involved in the community . We cannot forget about that .” CEK continually recognizes that locallyowned businesses help build strong communities , linking employees with neighbors to contribute to local causes . Local ownership means important decisions are made by people who live and serve in the communities that feel the impacts of those decisions .
Guiding Principles of Success
CEK lives by the Golden Rule of treating people the way it would want to be treated and being true to its word . First and foremost , the agency wants its customers to know they will be taken care of . Their guiding principles focus on staying a locally owned agency with owners that reside in the communities they serve . In managing the agency , they also want employees to feel supported and good about what they are doing daily . “ We have been blessed with outstanding team members at CEK , and that makes a big difference in serving customers and creating a quality agency culture ,” says Marty Yost .
“ The culture of the agency is important ,” says Justin Cordova . “ When I was out of the office for an extended period , our team was there to support me . Not only did we continue to service the book , but we also wrote some new accounts because of the team ’ s willingness to go above and beyond .”
Pictured at left : Mark Buhler , Justin Cordova , Tracy Cullers , Christopher Hutchens , Tom Karasek , Marty Yost , and T . J . Brennan
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