South Dakota Farmers Union
07/31/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/31/2024 14:54
Get to Know Scott Sabers Agency Sturgis & Spearfish
It was Saturday at 5:30 a.m. when Scott Sabers' cell pinged. He read the text message, made a phone call and 30 minutes later he was on the road heading to a Meade County ranch.
"A tornado and hailstorm hit during the night and our client's home was damaged, they also lost several outbuildings - completely missing," Sabers recalled.
By 8 a.m. the team was assembled in the Sturgis and Spearfish insurance offices, staff were taking calls and starting claims.
"By day's end, we had started processing over 100 claims, and our clients' were on the road to getting their lives back together after this catastrophic event," Sabers said. "This is what insurance agents do. I always say, on sunny days like today folks don't need us. But when they have something bad happen, that is when we are needed, and we need to be available."
Sabers grew up witnessing his dad respond to catastrophes. Ken worked for Farmers Union Insurance (FUI) more than 30 years. "I remember anytime our family was on a road trip, we'd stop at farms and ranches along the way to say "Hi," or take photos of something. Thinking about this, I laugh because today, I do the same thing and my kids, Ainsley and Easton have to wait for me."
Sabers' career didn't start in insurance. After graduating from South Dakota State University, he and his wife, Brenda, began their careers in Indiana. About the time they had their first child, Ainsley, they began to feel called back home to western South Dakota.
"My wife grew up on a ranch near Stoneville, so this is home for both of us," Sabers explained.
In July 2004, Scott moved home to go into business with Ken. In 2012, Sabers took over the Agency when Ken retired. Today, the couple and their team of seven manage brick and mortar locations in Sturgis and Spearfish. But it is at kitchen tables, ranch shops and farm fields that Sabers feels most at home.
"I love the fact that I get to meet with my clients and help them out in the country on farms and ranches," Sabers said.
When he and Brenda are not helping their clients manage risk or process a claim, the couple volunteers their time locally. "Giving back to the community is something we believe in," said Sabers who together with a friend helped start a golf tournament to support the Sturgis Brown High School Booster Club.