In our ongoing Meet the Team feature, we put a name and a face on the amazing members of our team. Today we would like to introduce Randy Swanson, agent.
Where is your hometown and did you grow up around farming?
I grew up in Warsaw, Ind. and I’m a lifelong resident. I helped my father on our family farm from boyhood days through graduation from college at age 21.
What are your clients asking you about today?
My clients want to know about new products and best ways to integrate crop insurance with other options for risk management. They are also interested in how to cut input costs per acre without jeopardizing yield.
What is your approach to customer service?
My approach is to be honest, return phone calls and treat my customers like I would want to be treated. I strive to help them to be the most well-informed crop insurance buyer they can possibly be. I provide all of my clients, large or small, with the same level of service.
How long have you been working at SIG and what do you like best about your job?
Upon graduation from college, I taught at a school and worked three years for a local industry in their accounting department. Then, I co-founded a local investment and financial planning firm, where I spent the next 30 years. After I sold the company, I returned to agriculture and the farm community by joining SIG in 2000.
I’ve been with SIG for 16 crop-years now. I like innovation of software ideas to better illustrate how a policy will protect a producer’s net profit per acre. I was instrumental in early software development for illustrating crop insurance revenue products to farmers in Illinois – I’m really proud of that and proud of how far the industry has come.
What are you most excited about?
I’m excited about new products and software to illustrate to my clients. I enjoy going back to clients with whom I’ve advised for over 12 years, many have become friends as well as clients. Helping them meet the challenge of profitability (or minimizing loss), in this difficult time of high input costs and low commodity prices, feels like an accomplishment.
What is one fun fact about yourself your co-workers don’t know?
I’m married to my wife, Barb for 48 years, we have three children (my son, Brian is also a SIG employee) and 10 grandkids. I’m a member and involved in leadership at Pleasant View Bible Church for the past 33 years.