Photo: supplied
Alex and Angela Penello with daughter Andrea Pollock and son Matt Penello are looking forward to the opening of their new office scheduled for November 7th.
After working out of their home for 14 years, Alex and Angela Penello are delighted with their upcoming move, as they join the businesses on King Street in downtown Millbrook. The decision to move to the new location was somewhat serendipitous, as the Penellos had been quietly looking for a spot in town to move their growing business and Alex had always admired the building which was home to the Ladies retail store Oasis Boutique. The owner of the building, Patrick Benson, had contacted the Penellos about an insurance matter, which led to a discussion about the future of that building. A deal was struck almost instantly, and since September the building has been undergoing extensive renovations to accommodate the Penello business on the main floor and one of their family members in the second floor apartment.
Alex Penello has been in the insurance business for more than 30 years, and opened his own brokerage out of his home in 2002. With his wife Angela managing the office, the business has grown to the point where they needed more space. Over the last few years, other family members have stepped in to help grow the business. Their daughter Andrea and son Matthew will work out of the new space and another son Michael is showing an interest in joining in the future.
Angela has mixed feelings about the move; as a mother of five children, in the early days working from home gave her flexibility, and many of her office duties can be performed off hours. She will now be in the front of the office in the reception space during regular business hours, so there will be no opportunity to pop in a load of laundry, but then there is a lot less of it to do these days.
The succession plan for this family business is now well established, and all involved are enthusiastic about the game plan. The business has grown organically through family connections and referrals, and their all family intends to continue to build their network of customers by focussing on the personal approach to service that has been instrumental in their success.
While the parents do business in more traditional ways building relationships with personal meetings and handshakes, Angela observes that her children optimize the use of technology in their dealings with customers, which appeals to younger customers and is clearly the direction in which the industry is headed. In the meantime, the doors will be open on November 7th for an old-fashioned personal chat about insurance needs, including property, automobile and commercial insurance. They welcome you to drop in and see their new place. KG
