EM Ford Insurance is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, marking a century of growth, family leadership, and deep ties to the Owensboro community.
Fourth-generation co-owner Clay Ford said the milestone is both humbling and energizing for the company’s nearly 50-member team.
“It feels wonderful,” Ford said. “We are very proud of this opportunity, and to have achieved this milestone, it’s pretty special to be able to celebrate that with not only the community, but of course with our team — both the current group that we work with now that we’re so proud of and excited about, but also our retirees and former employees who really helped to make this possible.”
EM Ford marked the milestone Thursday night during a Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce After Hours event at the agency’s downtown office. Ford said the gathering was a chance to honor multiple generations of employees, including some who helped lay the foundation for the company’s long-term success.
“We’re excited to have this celebration with them and to share in that excitement of what they helped us to accomplish,” he said.
The company’s roots date back to 1925, when founder Ernest Milton launched the agency from an office above a car garage on 3rd Street, near the old Owensboro Hotel. EM Ford later moved several times along or near Frederica Street before returning downtown in 2019.
“Obviously, the world was different in 1925,” Ford said. “It was a much simpler operation at the beginning of our career. We have evolved from an organization that helped people with their homes and when autos finally came to pass, and now we help them with their very large and complex businesses that have so many challenges in today’s world.”
Ford and his brother Neel represent the fourth generation to lead the agency. Their father Steve, along with cousins Rick and Rey, made up the third generation. Their grandfather Wendell and great uncle Reyburn led the agency through decades of expansion and change.
Over the past century, EM Ford has grown from local operation into a regional firm with nearly 50 employees and clients with locations across the country. The company operates offices in Owensboro, Henderson, and Glasgow, the latter added this year following the acquisition of Pedigo-Lessenberry. EM Ford also expanded its Henderson office by acquiring Henderson Insurance Services.
Ford said the company’s people — past and present — are the key reason the agency has endured.
“The people that have worked here, they are talented, they care tremendously about how their clients are treated and their success, and they’re dedicated to each other as teammates in this community,” he said. “There’s no question that the quality of the people is the reason we have been able to get to 100 years.”
He said many longtime employees devoted decades of service, including one who “was the last person hired by our founder and worked for us for almost 40 years.”
Ford said the agency has weathered countless changes in the insurance world, from insuring early automobiles to helping modern businesses navigate cyber threats, financial planning, and succession strategies.
“We know that we can help them accomplish their goals and their dreams for their families,” he said. “If our clients have success, our employees and our team will have success as well.”
Ford also credited the company’s legacy of public service — including former Kentucky Gov. and U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford — with shaping how generations of the family approached community involvement and client relationships.
“They showed us how people should be treated, whether they were clients or employees,” he said. “He was in government to serve people, and we are here in this business to serve people as well.”
While the 100-year milestone is meaningful, Ford said the company remains focused on what comes next.
“The future — that’s important,” he said. “This is great that we’re celebrating 100 years. We’re very proud of that, but we’re just getting started.”
He said EM Ford has grown drastically over the past few years after completing a new strategic plan, and he expects that momentum to continue.
“We think Owensboro and Henderson and Glasgow, and Kentucky in general, is a strong market to be part of,” Ford said. “We want to make sure that we contribute to that growth and success.”
More about EM Ford is available at emford.com.
By: John Kirkpatrick The Owensboro Times