Making the Move

By Stephan Reed

Local insurance agency thrives after merger and relocation to Grandview Heights

Gardiner Allen DeRoberts Insurance agent Paul Schoonover is an excellent example of how to find one’s footing after a series of changes.

“I grew up in Los Angeles and I came to Ohio for love when I was 26,” Schoonover says. “My wife was from Columbus and came to California for school, and that’s where we met.”

This move was the first of many that Schoonover took to get to the office where he now works.

“I graduated with a degree in history, but I started working as an insurance agent in 1981,” he says. “My wife’s dad was in an insurance agency, so I started working with him. I actually ended up buying him out a few years later.”

Eventually the agency where he worked, then named DeRoberts, decided to combine with another, and Schoonover was on the move again. He is now a partner at Gardiner Allen DeRoberts.

“DeRoberts merged together with the Gardiner Allen Agency in 2006 and that’s how we got to Grandview Heights,” he says. “We had all known each other before, so the move was easy.”

Schoonover credits the city of Grandview with making the merger as smooth as possible, including the provision of extra security along Goodale Boulevard.

“When we first bought the building, the city could not have been more helpful,” he says. “The Grandview police were especially accommodating to us. Sometimes we are here very late at night and they will cruise through our parking lot and just keep an eye out for us.”

Since 2006, the agency has flourished, adding a list of about 3,500 clients. Although the agency has many clients, it attempts to make each of them feel like a top priority. Taking a little extra time out of his day to make a client feel comfortable is important to Schoonover.

“We have a pretty high client satisfaction rate,” he says. “We stay in touch with them. When they call here, they know who they’re talking to.”

Tri-Village area clients seem to appreciate what Gardiner Allen DeRoberts has done during its years in the community, and the employees seem to reciprocate that gratitude.

“Our plan is to be here for a very long time,” Schoonover says. “We have about 33 employees and many of them live in town. Moving to Grandview has just been great for us.”

Learning to deal with change and take strides toward a better tomorrow has paid off both for the business and for Schoonover personally.

“As long as you’re progressing, as long as you’re moving forward, you will be doing OK,” Schoonover says.

Stephan Reed is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at laurand@city scenemediagroup.com.