Having recently marked its 140th anniversary, Rough Notes is celebrating its long track record of supporting the independent agency channel by profiling agencies that have been in business for 100 years or more. This month we feature a firm that is celebrating its centennial this year. By Elisabeth Boone, CPCU

Then … In 1919, Alfred T. Schauer founded Schauer & Reed Insurance Agency. He built a successful business and was never hindered by his blindness. After his death in 1945, his wife, Marie A. Schauer, managed the business while her only son, Thomas, attended college. After earning his insurance degree from The Ohio State University, Thomas began his career at Schauer Group in 1950. In 1953 he bought the business from his mother. He knew that to be successful, he would have to be more knowledgeable than the competition and believed that the formula for success and longevity was integrity and commitment to clients and the community.

Now … Tom’s sons, David and Bill, have grown Schauer Group into one of the largest independent agencies in Ohio. Today a new team of young professionals, led by the fourth generation of the Schauer family, continues to build on long-held principles and lead this 100-year-old company forward.