All in the family

LAUREL – Grant Anderson has a job perk not many others can claim.

“My absolute favorite thing is when I run into someone and they say, ‘I knew your Grandpa Tom,’“ the Concord man said.

Grant joined Anderson & Anderson Insurance recently, representing the third generation of family who have owned and/or operated the business for nearly 100 years. The business has offices in Laurel, Hartington and Allen.

The founder of the agency, A.J. Lammers, is the great-great uncle of Peg Anderson, Grant’s mother. Grant’s maternal grandfather, Tom Tideman, began his ownership in 1973 under the business name Wirth-Tideman Insurance and the location was moved to Hartington.

Peg, a Hartington native, joined the agency in 1990, and she and her husband, Steve, a Laurel native, became stockholders in 1992. The business name was changed to Anderson & Anderson in 2013 - the same year that Grant graduated from Wayne High School.

“I have always considered Hartington my second hometown because of how much time I spent here visiting my grandparents,” he said of Tom and Kathy Tideman. His paternal grandmother, Verlyn (Isom) Anderson, was raised in Allen. “I still have extended family and family friends that live all over, so I have always felt a part of all the surrounding communities.”

It wasn’t always his plan to move back to the area and join the family business.

He graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, with a degree in business in 2018 and worked in sales in the Omaha area for six years afterward.

“I always wanted to explore other options but deep down always wanted to come back and be a part of the business. I just never knew when,” Grant said. “Over the last few years I have gained various experience in sales, so the wish to come back with the family business just grew more and more.”

Anderson is currently licensed in property and casualty insurance and studying for a license in crop insurance. He splits his time between office locations.

“I am always flexible and willing to meet the customer at the location and time of their choosing,” he said.

So far, he’s enjoyed the variety of his workdays.

“It can be working with a farmer that added a pivot, visiting with a contractor that needs liability insurance or helping a teenager add their first car to an auto policy,” Grant said.

Insurance can be complicated, with constant changes to markets, rules and regulations, so it’s his job to keep customers informed, which can be challenging at times.

“There are a lot of different scenarios that our customers face,” he said. “It is my job to relay those messages in a simple, accurate way that will ensure the best coverage that makes sense for our customers’ unique situation.”

Anderson & Anderson may not be the best fit for everyone’s insurance needs but Grant encourages people to seek a free quote. “Sometimes you don’t know what is out there for insurance options and pricing until you give a fresh, new face a try,” he said. Grant said it’s different approaching his mother and father as an employee instead of as a child, but he feels grateful for the opportunity. “I feel great about my decision to move back,” Grant said. 'I forgot how much this area has meant to me and how much it has shaped me as a person. I am just really excited to be able to give back to the community that has given me so much.”