From new downtown office, Holmes Murphy looks to the future with growing team, product innovation

This piece is sponsored by Holmes Murphy.

As Doug Muth describes it, “This campus is our brand.”

And Muth, senior vice president and Sioux Falls market leader at Holmes Murphy, was about to introduce it to some of his company’s most promising leaders.

Holmes Murphy University is the firm’s premier leadership program. Those who complete it often go on to become shareholders in the independent insurance brokerage and risk management firm, which is approaching a century in business and offers services in property and casualty insurance, employee benefits and risk management solutions across various industries.

Muth had invited the class to hold one of its sessions in Sioux Falls, where last fall the office moved into its new location downtown at The Steel District.

“Sioux Falls had never hosted one,” he said. “But I really wanted this, so I went for it.”

When visitors from across the country weren’t taking a deep dive into the firm’s history and intricacies, the Sioux Falls team showed the best of what the city has to offer. There was a tour of the bike trail on e-bikes, a stop for cocktails at Highball and a standout dinner at Ironwood Steakhouse downtown.

“They said it’s so cool,” Muth said. “We had people from Dallas and Denver and Minneapolis, and they’re blown away by how nice the people are here, how amazing this whole campus is – the restaurants and the bike trail. They’re already talking about how they’d like to come back.”

If the visitors’ eyes were opened learning about Sioux Falls, Muth suspects the same would happen as those in his own community learned more about Holmes Murphy.

“I think sometimes there’s a perception that we’re mostly local – and we are very committed locally – but people often don’t know the bigger picture of what Holmes Murphy offers,” he said. “We have the scope and talent to handle their needs.”

Humanizing insurance

Holmes Murphy’s roots date back to 1932 as Max Holmes drew on a decade of experience to serve Depression-era clients through “package policies,” which had multiple coverages and only one premium.

In 1948, he hired Ray Murphy to help in sales, and the two became proficient in bonding construction during the 1950s – leading the firm to broker some of the largest companies in Des Moines and to become the first in Iowa to have a statewide traveling salesman.

To the west, in Sioux Falls, a firm with a similar history began to evolve.

Dick Culbert and Don Davis both served in World War II and came from Sioux Falls – but didn’t know each other until a lifesaving encounter.

“Davis’ unit was captured by the Germans, and Dick Culbert’s unit liberated it,” Muth said. “And through that experience, they got to be friends, and both moved back to Sioux Falls.”

Culbert had been in the surety business and decided to start a brokerage to support federal requirements of contractors building the federal interstate system.

“That’s really how the Culbert Davis Agency was created in 1959 was when those two came together,” Muth said. “And then they got into a medical division, and it was just the two of them who grew it until the mid-1980s when four of their producers took it over.”

In 1999, the firm became part of Holmes Murphy. Muth has been a shareholder since 2003, became a voting shareholder in 2012 and has served on the board since 2014.

“All of our shareholders are super-invested in the company as they self-finance their share of ownership,” Muth said. “It’s important for customers to know you’re dealing with an owner who has skin in the game in a major way.”

Holmes Murphy strives to humanize the business of insurance through a culture of helping others. The firm spans 16 offices in 11 states, with more than 1,200 employees and more than 200 shareholders.

While there are approximately 50 people based in Sioux Falls, their roles span across the firm, supporting everything from training and development to surety, property, casualty, safety and risk management.

“There’s a lot of energy and engagement in this office,” said Lori Clausen, vice president of sales and services for employee benefits.

“It’s a very caring place and very family-oriented. We take care of each other.”

Clients benefit from breadth of services

Holmes Murphy serves clients nationwide across a broad range of industries – from manufacturers to medical facilities and construction companies to banks and trust companies.

“The majority of our clients are 50 or more employees, and a lot of them are in the hundreds or thousands of employees,” Muth said. “You’ll be connected with resources from across the nation to best fit your needs.”

Plus, the firm includes access to eight specialty subsidiary companies, formed “to create solutions our clients needed that we didn’t find in the marketplace,” Clausen said. “We built them, and now clients can take advantage of those solutions and services that they often couldn’t purchase in standard markets — solutions that are very unique and very valuable to them.”

The goal is “giving you the tools you need to control losses and drive down utilization,” Muth added. “If we can drive down claims, premiums come down over time. So our goal is to help clients establish a culture of using our specialty companies to help add value and control costs.”

In the Sioux Falls office, “we’re a steady, consistent growth market,” Muth said. “When the national economy is shaky, Sioux Falls outpaces most areas.”

Often, interns come from out of state and end up becoming permanent hires in Sioux Falls, he added.

“They’re committed and want to come here and make their life here.”

The office includes six shareholders and a seventh who was among the class of Holmes Murphy University that visited this summer.

“Our No. 1 asset is our employees,” Muth said. “We want them to love coming to work, and we have a culture that uplifts people. There’s accountability for everyone, but it is a very caring, supportive place. We hire great humans, and then the talent just happens to come with them.”

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