K of C Niemeyer Agency celebrates 20-year anniversary

Father Chuck Tuttle blesses the Knights of Columbus-Niemeyer Agency building on Mason Drive in Breese. Photos by Matt Wilson    The Knights of Columbus-Niemeyer Agency celebrated its 20-year anniversary with an open house on Friday, Sept. 4.
    The community was welcomed to stop by, meet the team, enjoy food, see what the agency has built, and what the future holds.
    Father Chuck Tuttle blessed the building.
    Jeff Niemeyer opened the agency on Sept. 1, 2006.
    "It seems surreal, it doesn't seem like it's been 20 years," Niemeyer said. "Time flies when you are moving along."
    Niemeyer Agency has been in its current location on Mason Drive in Breese for 14 years. They were downtown Main Street in Breese for six years before moving to their current location.
    Niemeyer said the team of employees is what has kept them in business for so long. Their territory is everything south of Peoria and Bloomington. The Breese location is a regional hub for the agency.
    There are 15 advisors that work in the Breese location. They represent the Knights of Columbus and offer the financial planning of insurance and investments to all of the Catholic families in the area.
    "We have a great team," Niemeyer said.
    Niemeyer brought in a good friend of his who has been with them for 12 years. Another assistant manager that covers the eastern half of the state has a dad that worked for Niemeyer for 15 years.
    "There is some really interesting family and friend ties here," Niemeyer said. "We have had some great history over all these years. It has been a lot of fun."
    Niemeyer said the Knights of Columbus is essentially two companies in one. Many people know the charity side of the Knights of Columbus. There also is a financial side of the Knights of Columbus.
    The financial side is the financial engine of the company. The Knights of Columbus donated $200 million last year, and a lot of that money came from the profits of their investments and insurance sales.
    Niemeyer said families invest with their faith and in their faith. If someone is Catholic and it means something to them, they can have their business with a Catholic company so they know they are doing good things with their money.
    Niemeyer Agency provides life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, retirement annuities and investments.
    There are 18 total employees at Niemeyer Insurance.
    Niemeyer said the open house was well attended.
    "We had a lot of people come through," he said. "We had some clients drive a good distance for this. We have met a lot of good people in our 20 years with the Knights of Columbus."
    Jeff and his wife Emily live in Breese and have three sons - Willem (10), Barron (8) and Conrad (6).
    "Life just moves faster with kids," Niemeyer said. "We are always headed to a ball field or an ice rink. My two older boys play ice hockey. I coach them all in just about everything, it's fun."