History
Company founder Max L. Holmes was an optimist and an idealist. In 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, he opened his own insurance agency in Des Moines, Iowa. Holmes determined that hard work and dedicated customer service would sustain his business. Within a decade, the Max L. Holmes Agency was known as an authority in the property and casualty insurance field.
J. Raymond Murphy Jr., a former member of The University of Iowa’s famous Ironmen football team of 1939, joined the agency as a salesman in 1948. By 1951, Murphy had become a partner in the firm, which then operated under the name of Holmes Murphy.
During the 1950s, Holmes Murphy broadened its base. The company became proficient in bonding and construction insurance. And in connection with the Iowa State Bar Association, Holmes Murphy provided a benefits package designed for the law association. By the end of this decade, the company also launched the development of its Employee Benefits department, which has become an integral part of the business.
The thriving agency continued to grow, handling the insurance needs of several of Des Moines' largest employers. During the 1960s, new partners were brought on board. By 1971, the firm incorporated under the name Holmes Murphy & Associates. Ownership rests with shareholders, who have earned their positions through years of service as successful sales representatives and company leaders.
Max Holmes and his partner, Ray Murphy, established a leadership style that has become our executive profile. Holmes Murphy’s tradition of commitment to dynamic leadership and independent ownership continues in the shareholders who lead the company today.