Gerg Insurance celebrates 20 years in Elk County
ELK COUNTY - Ed Gerg realized early on that he wanted to be his own business owner. This year Gerg has been the owner of Gerg Allstate Insurance & Financial in Ridgway and St. Marys for 20 years.
When he graduated from Edinboro University in 2000, Gerg was recruited right out of college to work for MetLife. While working for MetLife, he discovered there were no Allstate agencies in the area and he took the opportunity in 2003 to own his own business here where he was born and raised in Elk County.
“I looked at it as an opportunity to be my own business owner instead of working for someone and an opportunity to bring Allstate to the area,” he said.
Gerg and business partner, Hal Beimel together started the brand new agencies in St. Marys and Ridgway in 2003.
Gerg said starting out required a lot of hard work in building up a clientele and eventually becoming a staple business in the community.
“We started with zero customers. You have to be poor for a time and wear all the hats. You’re customer service. You’re a salesperson. You’re a manager. You’re everything,” he said.
The agencies and clientele eventually grew and in 2008, Gerg acquired the Allstate agency in Warren as a third office and still owns that agency today. At one point, Gerg had five agencies with one in Erie and one in DuBois until he sold them in 2012 and then bought out his business partner.
Interestingly, Gerg started out going to school to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). During his senior year he decided to change majors.
“I could tell the medical field wasn’t for me. I just kept denying it and thought I’d eventually like it,” he said.
He realized that his real interests were in finance and investment having always been fascinated with finance since his high school
days at St. Marys Area High School while participating in the Stock Club in 1994.
“I think I was always entrepreneurial from the get go. I always read a lot of books on it, even through college,”
he said. “It was a little turn in events.”
With all his general education courses completed, he then was able to get his bachelor's degree in finance and investment two years later.
Gerg took those interests, and eventually incorporated investment
planning into the agencies helping clients with financial and retirement planning, while his sister, Darlene Matangelo as general manager helps run the auto and homeowners' insurance side of the business along with four other employees.
With community involvement,
referrals, advertising and good customer service, Gerg said the agencies have grown into what they are today 20 years later.
“Local people want to come because of us. We try to take care of people. If you treat people well, they're going to tell others,” Gerg said.