Meanwhile, Tony’s brother, Charles H. (Chuck) 施罗德, had begun an insurance career of his own, selling policies in St. Louis through a contract with Continental of New York. By 1955, 施罗德 保险 had grown to the point where Tony needed help. He invited Chuck to sell for him in 联盟, but the younger 施罗德 initially proved to be an elusive catch. 他觉得圣. Louis market offered the best opportunity, 直到有一天托尼问道, “Do you want to be a little fish in a big sea or a big fish in a little sea?” Not long after that conversation, Chuck moved back to his hometown and joined 施罗德 保险 as an agent.

在接下来的几年里, 该机构不断壮大, both through the new client relationships that the 施罗德 brothers developed, and through the acquisition of accounts served by other local agents such as Mr. 赫伯·莫恩和夫人. 艾琳Sudholt. Herb Maune’s agency dated back to the years of the Great Depression, when his father, H.O. Maune, started selling insurance for The Travelers to supplement the income produced by the mercantile store he owned in Union. 最终, Herb Maune took over his father’s insurance business and sold it to 施罗德 保险 in the late 1970s. The Sudholt agency also had deep roots in the community: It had begun decades earlier with a book of auto insurance built by Ralph Sudholt in connection with the Oldsmobile dealership he owned and operated in Union. 到20世纪80年代初, 他的遗孀, 艾琳, 即将退休, and found in 施罗德 保险 a firm that could service her accounts with the respect and attention she felt they deserved.