Insurance agency holds ribbon cutting after opening just before pandemic

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Adair County, Chris Karns, principal owner, setup Brocker, Karns & Karns to take its place on the southwest corner of the Greenfield Public Square. Then, just like everyone else, came the uncharted territory of navigating that season that dealt all sorts of challenges to businesses.

Brocker Karns & Karns has been the latest local business to hold a ribbon cutting. They welcomed in guests for the most recent Community Coffee, held by Greenfield Chamber/Main Street, last Thursday, June 16.

“There were all sorts of challenges coming through COVID with the companies we work with, because the people who we call underwriters, they would often work from home and we would have difficulty getting ahold of them to make sure we’re writing the product correctly,” said Bill Yount, Agent with BK&K. “We also couldn’t do a lot of face to face with the client, we had to do a lot of phones. We still believe in going door to door, meeting the client face to face.”

Yount said their primary goal when they opened BK&K here, which also has locations in Anita, Atlantic, Walnut and Council Bluffs, was to better serve local customers in the insurance realm. About 60% of what they do here is insurance for local businesses, and the remainder is for individuals and families.

“Our primary goal is to sell insurance, but it’s to sell our customers a good product at a good rate,” Yount said. “We shop insurance. We’re not what we call captive insurance companies that only work for [one] company. We work for all these different companies and fit the right client with the right company so that they have the correct coverages.”

BK&K has clients all over Iowa, but that being said, Yount remains a big supporter of Greenfield, where he has called home since 1997. He is involved in his church, the Greenfield Lions Club and Greenfield Chamber/Main Street and Development.

“Our ribbon cutting went really well, we had a lot of people show up and were very pleased,” Yount said. “People are glad to see this building’s being used on the square. It’s just a good lookin’ building and fits us perfect. We’re very community-oriented, too. We are a big believer in Greenfield and they support us. If not, we wouldn’t have a business.”