Rennie Rodarmel Sr. is a hall-of-famer.
It's not because of his athletic ability or his musical skills; Rodarmel is in the Allstate Financial Hall of Fame, which recognizes the best of the best Allstate agents nationwide.
He was inducted in May after qualifying for the exclusive honor by being in the top 5 percent of Allstate agencies in sales production nationwide for at least 20 years.
Article Photos
ASHLEY WISLOCK/Sun-Gazette
The Rodarmel family of insurance agents pose for a photo in their Loyalsock office. Richard, standing left, Rennie Jr., standing right and Rennie Rodarmel, seated, all work out of the same office, which was started by Rennie Sr.
"It's about being consistent for 20 years," Rodarmel said. "To be there and be recognized by your peers is really neat."
For Rodarmel, the road to the hall of fame started 30 ears ago, when Allstate was owned by the Sears corporation.
After teaching for a couple years, he decided to try a "different endeavor" and began selling Allstate insurance out of a Sears store. Later, he was offered the chance to open his own Allstate agency.
"As soon as I had the opportunity to get out of the store, I did," he said.
Rodarmel's Loyalsock office, located on Westminster Drive, opened in 1984, and has been in business ever since.
The business also has offices in Pennsdale and Mansfield.
With an insurance policy to meet everyone's needs, Rodarmel said his office's continued success comes from the first-rate customer service and "personal touch" offered at the agency.
"The most important thing (about an agency) is the agent," Rodarmel said.
He said agents needs to be able to help, explain and fight for their customers, who trust the agent with all their insurance needs.
"Customers trust you with these life-changing events and we take that seriously," Rodarmel said.
Plus, Rodarmel is proud of his experienced and accommodating staff.
"The caliber of our employees is great," he said.
Rodarmel said the office is open longer than any other insurance agency in the area, with hours from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Plus, Rodarmel is willing to meet with clients during off-hours if necessary to accommodate busy schedules.
"I've met with people at 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.," he said. "If they're here at 9 p.m., we're here at 9 p.m."
Rodarmel Allstate's staff includes Rodarmel's two sons, Rennie Jr., who works as an independent agent from the same office, and Richard, who works with his father's clients.
"One of the good things about about moving to an independent agency is I get to pass the business on to my sons," Rodarmel said.
However, even if an employee is not related by blood, Rodarmel said he tries to create a family atmosphere at the office.
"I try to treat everyone on the staff as family," he said.
Rodarmel believes this friendly office atmosphere has contributed to the company's low turnover rate. He estimates that everyone at the office has at least five years of experience with business.
Though he has over 30 years of experience and the business boasts almost 14,000 accounts, Rodarmel said he tries to learn and grow with the ever-changing insurance industry.
"I still learn everyday," he said. "The industry is changing so fast."
Rodarmel encourages all his clients to also be aware of changes in the industry and keep up to date with their insurance policies.
"Everyone dreads paying insurance, but when you need it, you want to make sure you're (covered)," he said.
Rodarmel recommends that individuals review their insurance policies about every two years.
"You can't put it on the back burner," he said.
