Our Story

It all began on a Phelps County Farm Home on July 1, 1925 when Carl Hendrickson first picked up a ratebook for the Bankers Life Company and started across the plains of central Nebraska to sell life insurance. Bankers Life Company was founded in 1879 and later revised its name to Principal Financial Group in 1985.

Carl operated out of his home until moving to downtown Holdrege in 1936 – first at an office located in what is now First State Bank and then at our current location at 415 East Avenue in 1949.

Carl had a long and rewarding career in the business which included bringing his son, Bruce, into the business in 1956 following his service in the Navy. Carl and Bruce worked side-by-side for 21 years until Tom Carlson joined the office in 1977 following a 10-year teaching and coaching career. Carl retired in 1990 after 65 years in the business. Bruce retired in 2006 after a 50-year career and Tom retired in 2007 following his 30-year career. Each achieved great success, and all were inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame – Carl in 1960, Bruce in 1977, and Tom in 1998.

Former partner Sheila Tringe joined the firm in 1992 and worked until her retirement in 2014.

The current generation of representatives includes Dave Hunt, who joined the firm and purchased Tom Carlson’s practice following his election to the Nebraska Legislature in 2007. Grant Ericksen and Josh Murdoch joined in 2011 & 2012, respectively. Their partnership purchased Sheila’s practice following her retirement in 2014.

Bruce Hendrickson once said, “A client relationship is just like a marriage. Once you get married, you’ve got to keep working at it to help it grow, develop, and mature. And that growing process should never stop.”  Growth is never easy, which is why we are so proud of our legacy and the commitment to our clients spanning multiple generations. As people change and the industry evolves one thing remains: our dedication to protecting individuals, families, and businesses while helping them to grow their assets.