The year was 1932. The Great Depression had spread a blanket of uncertainty across the country, and those willing to make it into business had to be of a certain stock — determined, driven, and focused. Those qualities were what drove Max L. Holmes to open his own insurance agency. Holmes determined that hard work and dedicated customer service would sustain his business.

In 1948, Raymond Murphy, Jr. bounded onto the insurance scene as a “never-say-die” salesman with a fiercely competitive attitude, eventually becoming an insurance partner with Max Holmes. Ray Murphy was known for playing football with the famous University of Iowa 1939 Ironmen team, and it was his success on the football field that could have predicted his great success in the insurance industry.

Max Holmes and Ray Murphy established a leadership style that has become our executive profile and core values — exceptional service, expert know-how, and integrity. Holmes Murphy’s tradition of commitment to dynamic leadership and independent ownership continues in the shareholders who lead the company today.