Chamber salutes Starr-Matthews on 100th anniversary
Owning and operating a business is never easy and it’s not for the faint-hearted, but when it is consistently done right and done well it can lay a foundation for success that benefits not only those who own and operate it but the community in which it flourishes.
These are trying times for the world in general and commerce in particular, but the thing to remember is that even during challenging times, good things happen. There is a natural and understandable inclination to avoid celebration in consideration of the current climate. The Gordon County Chamber of Commerce is always happy to see any business accomplish a milestone, but especially one that has been a longstanding, reliable and generous partner.
Right now, as June begins, Starr-Mathews Agency will observe its 100th anniversary and attention should be paid. Milestones like this don’t happen every day: they take a hundred years. One hundred years.
James H. Starr founded the company in 1920, opening a small office in the heart of Calhoun. In 1953, Mr. Starr welcomed his son-inlaw, Bill D. Mathews, to the office and put the second generation in place, with the business becoming known as StarrMathew Insurance. James S. Mathews (Jim) joined in 1977 and represented the third generation, with he and his wife, Cathy, having the two sons, Robert and Barton, who now form the fourth generation.
The principals now include Jim Mathews, W. Craig Mashburn, Robert H. Mathews and W. Barton Mathews, with the company holding offices in Cartersville, Dalton, Ringgold, Rome and Woodstock. They represent more than 30 insurance companies and specialty markets and employ more than 40 people specializing in personal, commercial, life and health coverages. That makes Starr-Mathews Agency a good business, but it does not make its operators and employees special people.
What makes them special people is that they are absolutely committed to the economic growth and development of Calhoun-Gordon County and the well-being of the community they serve. These commitments are evidenced through their presences on Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority Boards and through countless demonstrations of civic involvement, corporate generosity and personal investment. It would be difficult to identify a community service agency or project in Calhoun-Gordon County that Starr-Mathews Agency does not participate in, support or endorse.
From the top down, StarrMathews Agency is a positive example of what can happen when good people do good work every day for one hundred years. And the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce would not miss the chance to salute and congratulate them for such an accomplishment.