Allstate office in Findlay dealership aids customers

In the car business, change is continual so the employees of the industry need to be quick on their feet and eager to learn.

Longtime automobile executive Bruce Schneider knows exactly that and jumped at the opportunity eight months ago to move from the sales end of the car business to the insurance side at Findlay Toyota, 7733 Eastgate Road in the Valley Automall.

"This is an awesome challenge," said Schneider, who is now an Allstate Insurance Co. agency manager with a full-service office in the Findlay Automotive Group dealership. "It goes without saying that the car business and the automobile insurance business go hand-in-hand, so we decided to take it another step by including Allstate in the dealership."

While having an insurance company on-site in an automobile dealership is not common, Schneider and others with Findlay Toyota feel that the trend is about to change. Eastgate Insurance was only the 10th Allstate office to be opened within a car dealership.

Schneider said Allstate approached Findlay Toyota about the idea more than a year ago. In order to solidify the agreement, he had to go to insurance school and pass two state licensing tests.

"These were not easy exams," said Schneider, who had to take three months off from the car business to concentrate on the process that included travel, class work and exams.

The end result has been that the hard work paid off.

"It makes good sense to me that a qualified car guy is good for the insurance industry," Schneider said. "I can assist in the communications between the car sales and the insurance sales staff, while also making the process a lot easier."

Schneider also pointed out that the agency can sell all phases of insurance thereby making the process that much more convenient.

"We can sell homeowners insurance, renters insurance, boat, car, motor home and life," he said. "We do it all. People also like the hours that we keep since we're open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. six days a week. It truly is a much more efficient way to purchase insurance.

"Findlay Automotive Group is also studying the idea of including insurance offices at other dealership locations."

Others in the dealership concurred with the idea of marrying a dealership with an insurance company.

"There aren't many car dealerships with insurance company offices on-site," said Findlay Toyota General Manager Rich Abajian. "But we like how this has grown in a very short period of time and want to be a one-stop location for everything from looking at or purchasing a car to all phases of insurance."

Findlay Automotive Group was formed more than 50 years ago by the late Pete Findlay, whose son, Cliff Findlay, now spearheads 26 new and preowned vehicle dealerships in Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Arizona.

Further information regarding Eastgate Insurance can be found by calling 567-3700.