Over a half century of commitment
Pride in the past, Commitment to the future.

It was a scorching summer day in Oklahoma City in 1951. That year had brought a new middleweight boxing champion with Sugar Ray Robinson defeating Jake LaMotta and President Harry Truman had shocked the nation by dismissing highly popular military leader General Douglas MacArthur. On the lighter side, the hilarious new series, “I Love Lucy” had viewers glued to their new-found television sets. It was year of changing times.

In a small building located at 10th and Walker nestled next to the now-famous Kaiser Ice Cream store in Oklahoma City, changes were also taking place as a unique family business was beginning. It was a business that was to grow and flourish, weather the state’s difficult financial times and reflect the pioneer spirit for which Oklahoma has become known.

A young entrepreneur, Marie Welch, had begun OGA literally on her kitchen table. Marie knew that many of the rural insurance agents were being neglected by the large insurance companies and consequently, had few products to offer their clients. Knowing that the key to success was identifying a need and then filling it, she set out to provide those previously unavailable products. The concept worked.

OGA grew and Marie became known as an innovator and leader in the insurance industry. In the early 1970s, moving to larger quarters at 36th and Shartel, she became an authority on automation, utilizing an IBM mainframe 36 computer to expedite the endless flow of paperwork that was now beginning to arrive.

Insurance executives were drawn from across the country to see how this small Oklahoma City agency had achieved such incredible operational speed through the little known world of computers. And true to her character, Marie happily offered her proprietary software to any who asked, without charge.

Marie continued to build her reputation as an expert in industry. She was invited to speak on America’s general agency system before prestigious Lloyd’s of London, the only woman to ever do so. She achieved nationwide notoriety in 1983, as well, when she was awarded the distinction of becoming the only female president of the American Association of Managing Agents.

The agency rode the Oklahoma economic roller coaster of the 1980s and in 1988 Baron Garcia, one of the agency’s brightest young officers, negotiated a purchase of the company from Marie Welch and her family. Operating it as a family business, as Marie had done with her family, Garcia was deeply committed to the philosophy of service and innovation that had built the agency’s reputation. Coupling that with an aggressive marketing philosophy, advances in technology and a comprehensive acquisition program, he led the agency to over 25 million in sales and caused numerous new insurance companies to enter the state.

Now as the agency is in its second half-century of operation, Baron Garcia has made sure the commitment to service is every bit as alive as it was over fifty years ago. Constant growth and refining of the product line, continuing education of agency professionals and expansion of service areas mark the company’s attitude and direction.

Service to you, the customer, remains the sole reason for OGAs existence and the focus of its commitment.