As a family owned and operated independent insurance agency, our staff will demonstrate understanding, honesty, and integrity as they help our customers with their insurance products they want, need or have.
In 1926, Walter R. Johnson and his wife Ruby started an insurance agency in their farm home located southeast of Ogden, Iowa. They made a great team. Walter sought out customers and kept record of their business transactions in a little book he carried around in his pocket. Ruby collected payments from customers and did the bookkeeping. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to stop Walter on the street in town and ask him for an auto insurance policy or ask him for help with their existing auto policy. Walter enjoyed fraternizing with his local customers.
In 1963, E. Alan Johnson, one of Walter and Ruby’s sons, joined Walter. The agency was renamed Walter R. Johnson & Son. Walter and Alan enjoyed their association with their customers both old and new. In 1967, Walter and Alan decided to move the office from its rural location to West Walnut Street in Ogden. In that same year, another of Walter and Ruby’s sons, Daryl W. Johnson, left employment with a Des Moines-based insurance company and joined forces with Walter and Alan. The agency was renamed Johnson & Sons, Inc. Together, Walter and two of his sons continued to focus on their customers. What started out as a small insurance business consisting of Walter fraternizing with a few hundred customers and all of his record-keeping in his little pocket record book, had grown into much more.
In 1977, the agency expanded with its Dayton, Iowa office. D. Mark Klever joined the agency to manage the Dayton Office. In 1985, another office was opened in Boone, Iowa. In 1987, Johnson & Sons purchased the Partners [now Iowa Realty] real estate franchise.
In 2001, grandson Erick E. Johnson joined the agency.
In 2021 the management of our Dayton office transitioned from Mark Klever to long time employee, Paula Gallentine. Currently, Paula and Erick manage the day-to-day operations of the agency.
Johnson & Sons, Inc. has grown from one little book and one location to what it is today. Several of Walter and Ruby’s grandchildren have worked in the agency at various times. The agency thrives from Walter and Ruby’s legacy of family and staff fraternizing with their customers.
An Independent Advantage
We are Independent Agents in Ogden, Iowa, free to choose the best carrier for your insurance needs. We do not work for an insurance company; we work for you. We work on your side when you have a loss and follow through to see that you get fair, prompt payment and service. Johnson & Sons, Inc represents a carefully selected group of financially strong, reputable insurance companies. Therefore, we are able to offer you the best coverage at the most competitive price.
What is an Independent Insurance Agent?
When you decide to buy a car, you wouldn't purchase the first one you see. What if one day the automobile industry decided to make only one type of car, one make and one model. You wouldn't have a choice!
The same situation holds true for insurance. You need insurance to drive a car, to purchase a house, to protect your family's financial future and to run a small business. But if there was only one insurance company that offered only one type of insurance, you wouldn't have a choice. The only solution would be going to that one company.
With an independent insurance agent, you have choices. Independent agents are not tied to any one insurance company. One of the advantages of using an independent agent is that he or she works to satisfy your needs. You are using an expert for an important financial decision.
An independent agent has several companies that he or she can approach to get you the best coverage at the best price. And your independent agent will know the companies with the most efficient claims departments to recover your losses as quickly as possible.
When you buy insurance, you want an advocate who will properly assess the risks you face and give you an objective analysis of the marketplace, because it's up to you to make the final choice.