In July 1995, Mike and Valerie Flanigan moved to Quincy from Stockton, along with their six-month-old son John, to work for what was then the Murray and Edwards insurance company. They’ve been working together at the firm ever since. Over the following three decades the couple had two more sons, bought and gradually expanded the insurance business, and became deeply ingrained in the local community. Now, they celebrate their retirement.
Embarking on a career together
Valerie began her career in insurance September 1984 in Phoenix, Arizona at Greg Miller and Associates, a firm run by Mike’s sister and her fiance. It was one of two job opportunities she was considering at the time. Though the insurance job paid slightly less, she saw growth potential and began pursuing her license.
Before long, Mike arrived in Phoenix with a newly-minted business degree. He’d worked construction through college, and his soon-to-be brother-in-law hired him to help remodel the office. He met Valerie while working on a door; she was on the other side of it, he said.
After the renovation job, Mike joined the organization, working alongside his brother-in-law to build up a new ambulance insurance business. He stayed eight years, working in loss control, inspecting ambulance facilities to confirm their insurability, before new opportunities brought the couple to Stockton, California.
Quincy and Flanigan Leavitt
Mike became familiar with Murray and Edwards in Quincy through his new role as an insurance wholesaler based in Stockton. The firm was one of his clients. On a visit to the office in Quincy, where he was assisting with a project, Mike recalled saying how much he’d “love to live in a small town like this.” Before long, both he and Valerie were hired.
Murray and Edwards had a long history in Plumas County, having been founded by the Murray family of Greenville in 1882. By 1995, when the Flanigans arrived, the company’s offices were located in Quincy, Westwood and Susanville. Mike eventually became a partner, and in 2003 the couple bought out the prior owners with the support of the Leavitt Group, based in Cedar City, Utah—another family-owned business. In 2005 they lovingly remodeled their historic space, the 1903 Plumas County Bank building at the corner of Haribson and Main streets.
They grew the business, writing as much as $13 million a year in premiums and employing 18 staff members. We like to think of ourselves as a “big agency in a small town,” said Mike.
We like to think of ourselves as a “big agency in a small town.”
Mike Flanigan
It’s a rewarding business in many ways, the Flanigans said. The relationships you build with clients and team members, the fast pace, and the variety all serve to keep things interesting. “You never know who is going to walk in the door,” said Valerie, whose work in commercial accounts has included horse mortality coverage, land surveyor coverage and a string of skateboarding-related businesses, among others. And we “had staff that are the best people ever.” From a business perspective, Mike added, insurance is a good option. It’s almost compulsory, you’re helping people and you can go anywhere.
The biggest change in their 30 years in the business came relatively recently as homeowners’ insurance providers began to pull out of California. Suddenly, team members could no longer offer clients a range of options to choose from, Valerie said. The job became about delivering bad news, telling clients their premiums were “tripling, or worse.”
“It wasn’t the normal [client] relationship,” Mike agreed. “We were used to helping people.”
Transitioning into retirement
Mike and Valerie ran Flanigan Leavitt for exactly 20 years before selling the business in 2023 to LP Insurance Services, based in Reno Nevada. The new owners have signed a five-year lease on Flanigan Leavitt’s offices and retained all staff members. The Flanigans themselves agreed to remain on board as independent contractors through the end of 2024 to help manage the transition—a process that is now complete as of Dec. 28.
Recently, the couple took their first two week vacation to Baja, “the best vacation ever,” Valerie said. In the future they hope to travel more during the cold months. They look forward to working on their home, where they plan to incorporate two engraved glass Flanigan Leavitt branded windows into a new greenhouse they are building.
The couple may someday return to work part-time for fun: Mike enjoys woodworking and remodeling, Valerie likes growing food. They also plan to remain active in community groups: Valerie has served on the hospital board of directors for 18 years, and is a member of the Sorpotimists and Plumas County Republican Women. Mike belongs to the Quincy Chamber of Commerce and Rotary and is treasurer of the Firesafe Council and co-hair of the Firewise Community.
Looking back on their years in business together, Mike said, “we were blessed. We had so much fun.”