b'Brian started in general insurance for NZI, servicingGENERATIONPort Pirie and the Mid North. He soon developed strong relationships with his clients, a mix of farmersTO GENERATIONand town businesses. Word spread that he understood the demands of rural businesses.Brian says one of the reasons for MGAs success is the strength of the relationships I remember a farmer telling me one day, If you they built with clients over decadesever come out here wearing a suit, Ill never doand generations.business with you again. I thought he was joking,but he was quite serious! When we started the business, we usedto go out to see the farmers, sit around the Brian understood the sanctity of the trust his clientskitchen table and do business. Wed call on placed in him. When you live in the country andthem. They loved it because they were out doing a client gives you their business, you have to betheir work and could take a break for an hour absolutely honest, because if you make one mistakeand sit down. They didnt have to get dressed in the bush, thats it. Word gets around. You dont rip people off in the country. If you do, youre finished. up, get in the car, go into town and come see us. And it just worked. The reason weve been It was during this time in Port Pirie that Brian crossedsuccessful is we just kept doing that.15paths with another young insurance industry go-getter, John George. It was a meeting that would change To this day, we still go out to the farmerboth of their lives.and sit around his table. A few years ago, I handed my clients over to a couple of our brokers. Were John had moved to Port Pirie from Adelaide in the latenow dealing with the grandchildren, possibly even 1960s to work as a branch manager for South Britishthe great-grandchildren in some cases, of the United Insurance. There, he gained a level of freedomsame families. Id say 80 to 90 per cent of the he never had in the city.clients I had forty years ago, we still have them.We did a lot of rural insurance up there, and I developed a great affinity for that. I used to enjoy getting out and looking after all the farmers.Rivals during the week, the local insurance inspectors and assorted others would gather for dinner on Fridays at a local pub. So were sort of competitors, but friends at the same time. I think his two children were born in Port Pirie with mine, John recalls.'