This year Zeiler Insurance Services, Inc. turned 100 years old.
We were a featured in a few local newspapers and wanted to share the article from the Beverly Review.
Be a part of our next century - we hope you enjoy!
Close-knit family celebrates 100th at Zeiler Insurance
Although members of the Zeiler Family were never pushed into joining Zeiler Insurance Services, five generations of them decided to be a part of the business that is now celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The Zeilers have deep roots in Beverly, and they’re proud of the milestone of their family business, based at 12159 S. Pulaski Road, in Alsip.
Don Zeiler, 79, who retired about seven years ago after 54 years of service and whose grandfather, Rudolph, founded the business in 1915, doesn’t have a concise explanation for why so many of his family members joined the firm, but he’s thrilled that they are continuing the family legacy.
“I guess there must be something good about it—the whole family sticks with it,” said Don, who’s lived on the 10700 block of South Fairfield Avenue for 48 years. “They keep coming back. It’s just a great thing to be involved with your family and able to keep it going.”
Don’s son, Dan, runs the Alsip office with his three children, Karli, 26; Lucas, 24, and Mitch, 22.
Dan’s wife, Maureen, also works part-time, and Dan’s cousin, Sharon Leonard, handles employee benefits while working from home.
Zeiler Insurance has two other locations: on the southeast side at 3660 E. 106th St., and in a recently purchased office in Gurnee.
The company offers an array of insurance products, including homeowner, renter’s, auto, life, health and business.
Dan is one of six children, and he said he knew at a young age that he wanted to join the family business. He didn’t really consider anything else.
“When I graduated from high school, when I was actually looking at colleges, the first thing I did was look at what colleges offered anything related to insurance,” said Dan, a Br. Rice High School graduate. “There were just a couple in the country at that time, so that was the direction I took.”
Dan’s children have joined the business within the past four years, and he’s excited about the fresh perspective they bring.
In recent years, the company has introduced “The Z,” a blog on the company Web site that highlights various programs, tips and news from the insurance industry, and his children are also assisting with an internship program at St. Xavier University.
“It’s just kind of neat to see what the latest generation is doing and the direction they’re going,” Dan said.
Don marvels at what his son and grandchildren have already accomplished. Lucas “is going to be a superstar,” he said, and Karli has improved the business’ promotional activities.
Mitch also fit right in after graduating from college in August, as he’s already contributing to “The Z” and impressing Don.
“He’s always excited to hear the direction the agency’s going. … He loves watching it move forward,” Dan said.
According to the company, Rudolph Zeiler founded the business, and Rudy took over in 1945. The original office was in downtown Chicago, the family said. Rudolph and several other relatives monitored the construction of the East Side location shortly afterward.
Don began working at the business in 1954, he said, while in high school. He attended Marquette University for a year, he said, then came back to work in the summer after his freshman year.
When he was preparing to return to college, he said, his father had another idea: stay with the family business.
It turned into his career.
“I had helped him out. We had worked together, and he just felt that it was a better place for me to stay there,” Don said. “And I didn’t have a problem with that.”
In the end, Don said, he made the right decision.
“It was gratifying. I did enjoy the work,” Don said. “I never had a problem going to work—got up in the morning and had no problem heading off to the office.”
In the 1970s, the business moved to the Alsip office. Family members enjoy working together and being in close contact during the week.
“It’s fun. You’ve got to be a little careful being on top of each other all the time, but everyone kind of does their own thing,” Dan said. “With the new era, new technology, new thoughts and ideas coming into the business, it’s working out well.”
Karli said she takes pride in the company’s consultative approach—instead of focusing on insuring customers in the fastest and cheapest way possible. She wants customers to be educated about their insurance options, and she looks forward to the future.
“We’re still growing, possibly trying to expand,” said Karli, who joined the firm in 2011.
Lucas came on in 2012, and Mitch joined this summer.
They appreciate that their parents didn’t push them to join the family business, they said, but they both discovered it was something they wanted to do.
“My father and my mother always stressed that we can do whatever we want with our lives. They brought us up that you can go any direction, and they would support us with whatever we decided,” Mitch said. “But growing up, me personally, it was exciting to see the tools that were available. And upon graduating college, and even before college, I knew that I kind of wanted to follow the same footsteps.”
Lucas said friends would ask him if he always knew he wanted to join the family business; he initially wasn’t sure, but he’s happy he did.
“After working here and learning about things, I couldn’t be happier,” Lucas said.
The company serves many local clients as well as those from across the city and suburbs, the family said, and its longevity has led to enduring relationships with many customers.
Recently, Dan said, a woman who is about 90 years old called to cancel her insurance policy—not because she was unhappy but because she was no longer driving. She was a customer since she turned 16, Dan said, when she got her license.
With such a lengthy friendship, he had to give her a proper farewell.
“We sent her a bouquet of flowers,” Dan said.
As he sat in his Alsip office with his children, Dan said he was reminded of lessons he taught them at a young age and when they joined the business. He felt the family’s insurance business offered them a chance to thrive.
“It’s fun to operate and be part of your own business,” Dan said. “And being in financial services, you don’t have to tool up on equipment or big … investments and everything else.
“I always felt it was a good business to get into, so I’m happy and proud with what they’re doing.”
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