A feel for the past

Larry Heuer's office is decorated better than many homes. Mounted fishing trophies, family history pieces, Civil War memorabilia, beautiful furniture, designer paint schemes.

"Hey," he says, "I figure you spend so much of your time in your office, why not make it someplace you want to be?"

That attention to detail and a desire to create an enriching environment are traits that have served Heuer well, both in business and in his personal life.

As president of Heuer Insurance, an independent insurance agency that's been in the area since 1929, Heuer helms a business that has defied statistics as it's headed into a fourth generation of family owners.

Heuer believes the reason his company has had such success is two-fold: "I got lucky, and I picked the right people."

One of Heuer's employees has been with the company 33 years, two more have been there 24 years, and another two have worked for him for more than 10 years each. All together, the top four people have more than 100 years of experience just in working for Heuer Insurance. That fact makes Heuer very proud.

He's also proud that his two sons, Adam Heuer and Dustin Snell, work in the family business. It wasn't something he pushed on the boys, or his two daughters, as he wanted them to make their own choices. Choice is a big deal to Heuer. It's part of why he's an independent insurance agent, instead of working for just one company.

"Clients used to be into branding and one company, but now they want choice," he explained.

He feels being an independent insurance agent gives him the ability to really work for his clients because he's not beholden to an agency. His favorite thing about his job is the people he gets to work with, and taking care of those clients is job one.

"I sell people a product that protects generations of financial security. That's really important. If a family puts their trust in me, I can sell them products to protect their family. I take that very seriously.

Everyone's human, and makes mistakes, sure. But when we make mistakes, we can affect a family's future," he says.

Family is key to pretty much all aspects of Heuer's life.

Heuer's grandfather started the company in 1929, and his father, Marshall, worked there from 1957 to 1984. Heuer wanted to be a fireman, but while waiting to hear back about his application, he began working for his dad while a junior in high school. Besides his two sons, his wife, Starla, also works for the company. All four kids live within a mile of Heuer and his wife near the Red Hawk Golf course, where the family plays golf frequently.

The wallpaper on Heuer's computer is a photo of Heuer and Starla, each holding a couple of massive trout. Fishing is a passion, as evident by his weekly trips to Pyramid Lake and the mounted trophies in his office. He has combined his fishing love with his travel bug, fishing in Alaska at least seven times, and hopefully "going back another seven times."

While history plays a part in his business, it's also a passion.

A firm believer in reincarnation, Heuer has long felt he was once a Confederate soldier who died on the battlefields of the Civil War. He's traveled to the South and East many times, even spending his 50th birthday touring the battlefields. He was hoping to get a feeling that "this is where it happened," but so far, he's not felt that from any of the battlefields he's visited.

While he may not be sure where he was in the past, Heuer is certain about his future in this lifetime. He wasn't positive he wanted his kids to get into the business, but since they chose to, he's a firm believer in them and their success and to that end, he's decided to stick around a little longer.

"I enjoy working with the boys so much, I'll put off retirement for a few years," he says. "I'm having too much fun."