About Slade & Collins
Our Insurance Agency was founded by VL Slade in 1935. VL was an agent for State Auto Insurance and loved to serve his customers. The first auto insurance policy VL wrote through State Auto still hangs in our office lobby.
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In the early 70’s a State Auto sales representative by the name of Earnest Collins, called on VL and his agency. VL and Earnest (better known as Earnie) became good friends while working with one another. When VL started to think about retirement he approached Earnie about his interest in becoming an agent.
Earnie was interested and eventually purchased half the agencies interest. VL and Earnie decided to change the name of the agency to Slade & Collins Insurance to incorporate the names.
Over the next few years VL’s health became worse and he told Earnie he wanted him to buy the remaining interests in the agency and continue it’s legacy of small town service. Earnie did buy the rest of the agencies interest, but decided to not change the agencies name and customer service philosophy.
We lost Earnie in April 2003 after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Janet and his two daughters, Christy & Joanna.
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Earnie’s son-in-law, Steven McCoy, became the principal owner and operator.
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In June of 2018, Tina Rizer & Chad Kiper, employees of Slade & Collins since 2011, acquired the agency.