Farmers Insurance Dedicates Heritage Center: Honors First State Agent Duane Gengler

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To celebrate its 80^th birthday since its founding in Los Angeles, Farmers Group, Inc., today the third largest property and casualty insurance company in the United States, and number one in California, built and dedicated the Farmers Heritage Center.

“The Heritage Center tells the story of Farmers all-time successful District Manager, Duane Gengler of Naples, Florida and Oakbrook, Illinois,” noted Farmers CEO Paul N. Hopkins. “In Farmers history there has never been a more successful district manager. Duane became a district manager in 1966, and by the time of his retirement in 2002, he owned almost every district production, size and profitability record in the organization. Almost as significant as his business results is his record of mentoring other Farmers district managers and agents throughout the country.”

The Center, located at the University of Farmers, a 150,000-square-foot training facility in Agoura Hills, California, features pictures, highlights, mementos, buttons, plaques and memorabilia from throughout the organization’s 80-year history.

Mr. Gengler started as a part-time agent in 1957 and joined the company shortly thereafter running the first Career School in Aurora, Illinois.

He moved to Minnesota and developed the Minneapolis–St. Paul area for Farmers. He then opened up Indiana for Farmers and shortly thereafter his love of selling took over, and he returned to the agency force becoming the most successful district manager of all time.

In addition to holding nearly a dozen records in the Farmers Book of Records for recruiting and production, over the course of his career he earned . . .

• 28 Presidents Councils
• 28 Life Championships
• 31 Topper Clubs
• 31 Life Masters
• 31 Life Round Tables
• 31 Commercial Round Tables
• 31 Commercial Masters

Duane Gengler was inducted into the Farmers Heritage Center at a special Board of Governors dinner held June 4, 2008. He and his wife Lisa accepted the Legend award together.

Farmers Group, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Farmers® is the nation's third-largest Personal Lines Property & Casualty insurance group. Property and casualty products are underwritten and issued by the Farmers Exchanges and their subsidiaries, which Farmers Group, Inc. manages but does not own. Headquartered in Los Angeles and doing business in 41 states, the Farmers insurers provide Homeowners, Auto, Business, Life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million households. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at www.farmers.com.