- May 1, 2024
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Richard Cooper, 68, known as “Coop,” recently marked 40 years with Mitchell Noel Insurance Agency, 1400 Hand Ave. Suite D. Still the majority owner, he has turned over the reins to his son, Rich, and now serves as a sounding board.
Cooper resides in the Keys where he has a dive boat and occasionally takes out fishing charters. A scuba diver, he is a licensed captain and dive master.
“I ran away to be a pirate,” he said recently with a laugh.
“We crammed 25 employees in my house and worked there until we were able to rent a small space which later got flooded during another hurricane.”
RICHARD COOPER, owner, Mitchell Noel Insurance Agency
Cooper says keys to success include always taking care of the client, as well as the employees.
During his decades with the company, Cooper was known for his community involvement.
He served as president of the Rotary and was Chamber of Commerce president twice. He was on the board of directors for Halifax Humane Society and served on an advisory board for Ormond Memorial Medical Center.
He said if you help a community prosper, your business will prosper also.
“It all comes back to you,” he said.
His son, Rich, fulltime at the agency since 2002, continues the legacy.
“The first week I started, he sent me to see Peggy Farmer, who was president of the Chamber,” Rich Cooper said. “Then he sent me to Ormond MainStreet to see what I could do for them.”
Rich Cooper now is president of Ormond MainStreet and Rotary Club Area 13, and vice president of economic development for the Chamber of Commerce.
“You meet the best people,” he said. “You develop a relationship with people when you are working on a nonprofit cause.”
Of his dad “running away to be a pirate,” Rich Cooper said that was what his dad always wanted to do.
“Maybe someday I’ll be able to do that,” he said with a laugh.
When asked what his proudest moments in the agency were, Coop said, “hands down, how we handled Hurricane Charlie.”
The agency’s office, then located on East Granada Boulevard, was destroyed and in less than 24 hours they were back up and running.
“We crammed 25 employees in my house and worked there until we were able to rent a small space which later got flooded during another hurricane,” he said. “It was imperative that we were there for our clients. It’s been the legacy of the agency and nothing was going to stop us.”
There are other challenges in the insurance business, including the economy. Regulations change, and sometimes re-insurance is less available.
After the series of hurricanes in 2004, many insurance agencies canceled policies.
“We had to rewrite every piece of insurance,” Coop said. “That took a lot of manpower.”
His advice to consumers is to talk to your agent and tell them you want the best value for your dollar.
“Get every discount,” he said.
Mitchell Noel Insurance Agency was founded in 1956 by John Mitchell and Henry Noel. Richard Cooper started in 1976 as a salesman. He was promoted to manager in 1991 and eventually was able to purchase the company.
