Local Agency Owner Re-introducing Horace Mann in Northwest Arkansas

A desire to own his own business and a chance to fill an area niche led David Enlow of Fayetteville to buy the Horace Mann Educators Corp. agency that covers a six-county area in Northwest Arkansas.

Horace Mann is an insurance holding company that offers auto, homeowners and life insurance, as well as retirement products, for those working in public education.

“That’s what we do,” Enlow said. “We provide preferential pricing and underwriting, steep discounts, to anybody in the public education field.”

Enlow, previously employed by a national multi-line carrier, has worked in the insurance industry for about six years. Enlow opened his Horace Mann agency in August, and about a month later hired Chris Pollitt and Josh and Leona Haegele as licensed producers.

Since then, Enlow and his team have been courting business throughout their region, which consists of Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Washington counties.

Enlow said the reception has been “very good,” and Josh Haegele pointed to a group of 20-plus customers in Pea Ridge that has saved a total of more than $10,000 over the last month as a good example of what Horace Mann has to offer.

“The stuff that we do, most of it is not an optional product,” Enlow said. “You have to buy auto insurance, you have to buy home insurance.

“We feel like if we’re able to save you a bunch of money and we’re an educator-based company that’s giving back to the community, then we should have the first shot with the educators’ business.”

Asked how Horace Mann is able to offer preferential pricing and discounts to educators, Enlow said, “Historically, educators have proven to be much less of a risk than the average consumer.

“That’s due to their stability, the fact they’re usually driving modest cars, they’re in the same location most of the time, and a variety of other factors. As a whole, they’re just much less of a risk from an insurance standpoint than Joe Blow.”

Horace Mann was founded “by educators, for educators,” Enlow added. It’s active in 47 states and traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Much of its community involvement is done through DonorsChoose.org, a national nonprofit that connects public school teachers in need of classroom materials and experiences with individual donors. Enlow said Horace Mann has donated about $1.5 million to DonorsChoose over the last two years.