NORMAN — Thirty years ago, Monty Moore answered a “help wanted” ad in The Norman Transcript and began a career in insurance that has placed him in the elite top 100 of Farmers Insurance Company’s agencies.
Moore is quick to give credit to the Norman community.
“Some say it is a hard town to break into, but the community has really embraced me,” the Taloga native said. He brushed off the suggestion that it took a lot of hard work to fulfill the words of the ad that promised he could “work his own hours and make $100,000.”
The ad sounded great to the young man who was struggling with a job and “moonlighting” waiting tables. He was soon to be a dad to his first child, and he was yet to finish his degree at the University of Oklahoma.
His first “office” was a desk in the company’s district manager’s office. Fifteen years later, he had grown his agency enough that he could buy his current building on West Gray Street.
The insurance field “gave me a great opportunity to help people and help myself,” he said. His agency has been in the company’s “championship” level for the past 16 years.
Taking care of people in their greatest time of need, whether it is due to a death or property damage, is gratifying, he said, and is a hallmark of him and his staff.
”We are here to give advice, to guide them through crisis, whether it is a storm loss or the loss of a loved one,” Moore said.
The insurance field has changed over the years, moving from strictly one-on-one contact to meeting clients who are motivated by mass marketing. Serving the clients ranges from “helping them every step of the way” in processing claims to those who are comfortable handling their own claims at their computers, he said.
“We work to find the right balance for the customer,” Moore said.
While Moore is quick to credit the community for his successes, he has given back a lot to the town, especially the athletic programs. Starting by coaching kid’s teams before he had children old enough to play, he has been very active over the years.
In addition to his kid’s soccer teams, Moore has been active in Little League baseball, Optimist basketball, the Norman North baseball, the Whittier Middle School Booster Club and the Norman Athletic Association. His family has been recognized by the NAA as “Family of the Year.”
Moore played baseball and basketball at Taloga High School, and said he was “blessed with good coaches growing up. I like the chance to relay that on to kids.”
Active in the Norman Kiwanis Club and First Christian Church, he also is involved with the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, now that he manages the family farm and ranching business at Taloga.
As far as setting one’s own hours, as the ad promised 30 years ago, Moore said an agent might work long hours, but “you do it until you get the job done.” Now that he has established his business and has a team in place, he has more freedom to play golf, but an injury forced him to quit playing in a weekly basketball game.
Moore is happy that his son, Taylor, is following in his footsteps as a Farmers Insurance agent and will soon open an office in northwest Norman. His family includes his wife, Janet, a nurse at Norman Regional; Chase, who is working on a master’s degree at OU; and Kayla, a student at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford.
While unassuming about his accomplishments, Moore enjoyed a party in celebration of his 30th year in the business. Still in his early 50s, he looks forward to another 20 years.
“I think it would be great to celebrate 50 years with Farmers,” he said.
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