This year marks a significant milestone in the history of Catto & Catto as we celebrate 85 years in business. The company, which was originally founded by my maternal grandfather, John Catto, Jr. (Jack) in 1933, continues to be locally-owned and independent.
Today, we employee over 80 people at our headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, and provide comprehensive insurance, risk management, surety, benefits and wellness solutions to organizations and individuals across the country.
How We Survived Challenging Beginnings
The agency was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, and in spite of immense adversity, it continued to grow and thrive. Our heritage has contributed to a grounded, yet flexible, mindset that has encouraged us to build on our history while maintaining perspective about the rapidly changing world around us.
Catto & Catto has survived and thrived because we have built on what we know without resting on our laurels. We stay focused on what the future holds and invest in a younger generation of team members who help us stay focused on needed changes to keep up with the times.
Technology & Healthcare: From 1993 and Beyond
Since I joined the firm in 1993, much has changed. Technology has driven our business into more efficient and scalable solutions. There is so much more information available to us and our clients, and we are only beginning to scratch the surface. We’re anticipating a new wave of technology that will have huge impact on our industry by creating opportunities for even more efficiency, accuracy, lower costs, all leading to improving the client experience.
The other aspect of our business that has changed dramatically since I first started here is healthcare and employee benefits. Employee benefit costs continue to rise and the solutions we offer have grown in number and complexity. And there is no end in sight to this trend.
85 More Great Years
We recognize that we don’t have it all figured out, so we’re always looking at better solutions for our clients. The strength of the relationships we have with them allows us to understand their goals and objectives at a very intimate level. We’ve been working with several of our clients for three generations, so we have the ability to make recommendations that other firms can’t.
There are about 30,000 independent agencies in the country, and thankfully, we’re in the top 1-2% in our financial performance. We owe our success to our dedicated team, visionary leadership, our culture and top-notch clients. We obviously can’t say with certainty what the next 85 years will bring, but we can be sure that our people will be at the forefront of improving the quality of life for our each other and our clients.
About the Author
Jaimie Hayne, Chief Executive Officer