The longevity of Manry Heston Insurance can be measured by the company’s first office phone number, 43. The company has been around for 135 years and started in 1887. For over half a century the company has been planted in Tucker and has served the community by providing insurance to area businesses and residents.
“We are kind of service focused,” Manry Heston President Charles McCollumn said. “We are more relational than transactional in the process.”
In 1971 Manry Heston decided to move to Tucker because the location was a centralized area for them to meet with their customers. They have been at the same address ever since.
“The company just established roots here. The thing I like about the location is that even though we kind of live all throughout the Atlanta Metro area we come in here, we go see a client and we come back here,” said McCollum, referring to how Tucker is easily accessible to all of Metro Atlanta and their diverse range of clientele.
Vice President Charlie Fister agrees and said Tucker is about as central as you can get. Also, the growing Tucker community is a plus for Manry Heston.
“There is a history we have with the community,” Vice President David Cherry said. “The vibrance and the growth in Tucker is very exciting, I think, to us. In the last ten years it has been taking off and booming. We are happy to be a part of that.”
Not only is Manry Heston benefiting from the location of the Tucker community, but the Tucker community also benefits from them. The insurance company participates in community work in Tucker. Manry Heston sponsors Tucker Day and are members of the Tucker Business Association. They have donated Welcome Back to School teacher gifts at Tucker High School, supported NETWorks Co-op through food donations and have purchased holiday gifts from local Tucker businesses for their clients. Manry Heston strives to continue to be deeply committed to the development and community of Tucker.
They also employ Tucker residents to continue to build the community. One of their employees is a Tucker resident who graduated from Tucker High School. Tammy Riley started working with Manry Heston when she graduated and has been with the company for the past 44 years. When Riley was in high school she was part of a work study program and worked at Comprehensive Accounting. After she graduated the lady who coordinated the work study program suggested Riley to Manry Heston, and she has been with the company ever since.
Manry Heston insures Tucker businesses and residents including long-time staples in the community. Matthews Cafeteria has been a client for decades, and Matthew Green, the owner of the popular restaurant, agrees with McCollum about the insurance company being more relational than transactional. “They are the best,” Green said. “They are very personable. They go the extra mile for you. They help with giving updates and explain things to you.”
