Luis F. Martinez: 28 Years of Insurance Services to Area Residents
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Eagle Passan Luis F. Martinez decided to follow his entrepreneurial skills in 1986 by joining the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies as a general insurance agent after retiring from the Texas Department of Human Resources. The Regional District Office of Farmers Insurance Group was located in Midland, Texas with its southernmost boundary including Eagle Pass, Texas. Martinez became only the seventh Mexican-American agent in this vast Midland District which included a total of 86 agents at the time. In October 1986, times were difficult for the financial and insurance services industry as the United States Wallstreet Stockmarket crashed.
Despite the difficult times to launch an insurance agency, Martinez was undeterred and his positive belief that Eagle Pass and the area needed another professional insurance and financial services agency motivated him to open up his first agency. Martinez’s first insurance office was located on Monroe Street, where longtime Eagle Pass insurance agent Mr. Benavides maintained an office. Later, Martinez relocated his insurance office to the Tony Rodriguez Building on 1995 East Main Street adjacent to the Eagle Pass Housing Authority office. Martinez’s hard work and dedication to his loyal clients grew his insurance and financial services office resulting in the construction of a new office located at 2279 North Veterans Boulevard in Eagle Pass. The new office was one of the first businesses to open on North Veterans Boulevard at the time and became a great success. In 2002, Martinez decided to retire from the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies exercising “the Family Right Option” allowing him to pass on the agency’s clientele and business to his oldest daughter and her family.
After his retirement in 2002 from the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, many Eagle Pass and area clients requested Martinez to reopen an insurance business to service their financial and insurance needs. After only a few months of retirement in 2002, Martinez opened a new Independent Insurance Agency known as the Luis F. Martinez Insurance Agency, LLC, at 199 South Monroe Street across from the Eagle Pass City Hall. Martinez operated this independent agency until 2007 when he sold it to Eagle Pass businesswoman Rosie De La Cerda and she began operating it as De La Cerda Insurance Agency. De La Cerda assumed full ownership of this agency in March of 2014. ” I like to thank Rosie De La Cerda for believing in us and helping us celebrate our 28th Anniversary in the insurance and financial services industry,” said Luis F. Martinez.
Since 1986, Martinez strived to provide the best customer service and the best claims service possible to his clients, resulting in having an in-house insurance adjuster to provide faster and better service to clients. “I like to thank my wife, Carmen Burkhardt Martinez, a retired school teacher, and our three daughters, Marisol De Luna, Yecenia B. Martinez, and Carmen Rocio for assisting me in the family business since an early age doing clerical and administrative work during weekends and in the summer months,” said Luis F. Martinez. “Without their love and support, I would not have been as successful as an insurance and financial services agent for the thousands of local and area clients,” added Martinez.
As Luis F. Martinez celebrates his 28th Anniversary as an insurance and financial services representative in 2014, he is most proud of his beautiful three daughters who have become successful in their own right, including Marisol De Luna who is an elementary school teacher, Yecenia B. Martinez who worked as a Field Representative for former Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez and is now with the Texas Department of Transportation, and Carmen Rocio who is with the San Antonio Northside Independent School District as the Head of the Culinary Arts Department at Warren High School.
Martinez credits his wife, Carmen Burkhardt Martinez, for his success whose unwavering support was instrumental during the past 28 years in the insurance and financial services industry. Martinez also acknowledges and thanks Gloria Edwards for persevering and assisting him for many years in the insurance business.
Luis F. Martinez still maintains his Property and Casualty and Life and Health Insurance licenses and still writes life insurance and annuities for family and friends. Martinez has been a member of the United Farmers Agents Association for over 20 years.
Martinez finally thanks his loyal insurance and financial services clients during the past 28 years for allowing him to be of service to them and providing them with their insurance and financial services.
