Career insurance man thrives in the Heights

Stan Harris in his Heights Center Building office in the Cedar Fairmount business district.

One could say that the Heights area has been good to Stan Harris. With his laser-sharp focus on helping people managa the risks of everyday life, Harris has been helping clients since 1988.

“I help people manage the unexpected and plan for their dreams,” said Stan Harris, who on this day sits comfortably in his office above Starbucks on Cedar Road, which he’s occupied for more than 21 years.

“We have over 100 products that we can offer our clients and we like to build relationships,” he said.

In fact, Heights residents make up 80 percent of Harris's business.

“State Farm has the best combination of price, product and service in the industry. Our financial strength and name recognition help me and it’s worked well in this community,” he said.

His serve-local strategy has been a successful formula for longevity in a business that has seen substantial changes over the past few decades. Harris's wife, Laura, handles the life insurance portion of the business.

“We do a survey every two years to get a response from the clients about how they feel about us,” said Laura Harris. “We’re accessible, reliable, dependable, knowledgeable and available 24/7.”

A strong bond between Stan and Laura enabled them to successfully balance the pressures of mixing matrimony and business.

“It was challenging at first. We had to learn how to work together and I had to understand how he runs the business,” said Laura. “I bring fresh eyes to the business and it’s worked out well.”

Looking ahead to the future, Stan sees even more opportunity to capitalize on the community that has been responsible for so much of his success.

“We look for growth. We don’t put a percentage on how much. The more people I can help educate, the more I want to do that,” he said. “A lot of people in Cleveland Heights recognize who the Stan Harris Insurance Agency is.”

Richard Stewart

Richard Stewart is a FutureHeights board member and the owner of Digizoom Media.

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Volume 5, Issue 11, Posted 1:24 PM, 10.31.2012