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About Us
In 1935, Norval Tripp was a young man trying to support his family. Back then, insurance salesmen had a very different approach than they do today. They would go door to door in their communities offering their services and would revisit those customers who had purchased their services each month to collect the premiums. Back then monthly premiums might only be a nickel. These insurance salesmen were know as “Debit Men”, Norval Tripp started his insurance carrier as one of these “Debit Men” working for Met Life.
During World War 2 times were tough, so in order to supplement his income from the insurance sales. Norval went to work at the wallpaper factory, which had retooled and was now helping in the war effort by making bombs. During this time it was not uncommon for families to have two or more sources of income in order to make ends meet.
After the war, insurance as well as real estate had picked up. With Soldiers returning home, Norval partnered up with his good friend Bob Herren to form R.N. Herren and N.M Tripp Real Estate and Insurance. The partnership thrived for several years until Norval branched off and founded what is now known as NM Tripp Insurance Agency.
Before long, Norval’s son, Bob, joined the agency. Bob did not join the agency right away after college however, as Norval wanted to make sure that Bob had a good understanding of what hard work meant. So after college Bob went to work in a factory as a painter. Bob still recalls what Norval said to him, “He told me that I would never know the value of a dollar unless I knew what it was like to really work for a living, He wanted me to appreciate how hard my customers had to work for every dollar they paid me in insurance premiums.” This is a value that Bob made sure stuck with the agency.
In 1976 Bob’s wife Janet joined the family business to help out with the administrative duties. Then in 1990 their son Tom joined the agency, making NM Tripp Insurance a third generation agency, which is a rarity in the insurance industry these days. The Tripp’s have always been committed members of the community. Bob served as a volunteer fireman for 35 years and is now a Commissioner for the Oswego Fire Department. Janet meanwhile has been active in the Oswego Women’s Civic Clubs for over 37 years and still volunteers extensively in the community. According to Janet, “ Because we know our community so well, we can provide the personal commitment people have come to expect from a ‘small town business’ even though Oswego is no longer such a small town.”
Tom eventually took over agency, as President, in 2008 and continued to grow the agency. Under Tom’s direction the agency has transitioned into one of the cornerstones of the community. NM Tripp is a founding member of the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce and recently celebrated their 25th year as a member. Tom has twice served on the board of directors for the Chamber and was also a volunteer fireman going back to 1990.
While the days of the “Debit Man” are long gone, having been replaced by emails and electronic billing, NM Tripp Insurance Agency still strives to provide that “small town business” personalized approach for our customers. So, give us a call, or better yet stop by the office and give us a chance to prove to you that not all insurance agencies are created equal. Then you will see why we say here that EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!