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| Contributed Photo Douglas and Frances Soderberg, formerly of New Sweden and Caribou respectively, now of Lynnfield, Mass., have worked together during their entire 50-year marriage at their insurance agency, Soderberg Insurance Services, Inc. |
LYNNFIELD, Mass. — How many couples have not only been married over 50 years, but also worked together in the business world for a combined total of over 100 years?
Soderberg Insurance Services of Lynnfield, Mass. recently recognized co-founders Douglas and Frances Soderberg for their mutual lifetime achievement in insurance.
Douglas Soderberg, CLU, CPCU, ChFC, is the co-founder and treasurer of Soderberg Insurance Services, Inc. A native of New Sweden, Douglas entered the insurance industry in 1957 as a life sales agent for Aetna Life and Casualty, the same year he met and married his childhood sweetheart and business co-founder, Frances Roderick of Caribou.
Douglas’ insurance credentials are impressive. He is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table. His sales activities have laid the foundation for agency growth. The agency is now in the top 10 percent of independent insurance agencies with respect to premium volume.
At age 24, Douglas was previously the youngest general agent that Aetna Life Insurance had ever appointed. Life insurance had clearly been the focus of the agency at inception, but always seeking to improve his knowledge of insurance products and the industry, Douglas earned numerous industry designations early in his career.
Frances Soderberg, co-founder of Soderberg Insurance Services, is still very much active in the business. Frances oversees the general operations of the agency.
Also a native of northern Maine, Frances worked in research and development at Arthur D. Little in Cambridge, Mass. The desire to join her husband in business and foster agency growth was what attracted her away from her field of research.
As the agency grew, its focus also grew from strictly life insurance products to all lines of insurance, both commercial and personal. The agency relocated several times before settling in at their current location in Lynnfield in 1985.
The agency has been active in the community, sponsoring local charities and events. In 2000, the Soderbergs’ daughter, Kathryn Soderberg, CPCU, who had been working at the agency for many years, took over as president. With the addition of Kathryn in the leadership position, the agency transformed itself once again to create a niche for itself in the Hispanic community, as Kathryn is fluent in Spanish. Today over 35 percent of the agency’s clientele is Hispanic.
The Soderbergs have lived in Lynnfield since 1965. Both are the offspring of self-employed parents. Douglas’ parents owned and operated a family farm and Frances’ parents owned and worked together many years in a small camera store. You might say that being founders of a successful business is something that was in their blood. The agency applauds their lifetime personal and professional achievement.
