Golf Course Vision Turns Into Reality

Golf is not merely a leisure sport. It is a buoyant venue where dreams are made and business gets done in the modern workforce. Over 20 years ago Richard Beach reunified a friendship with Walter Kelly that began years before as classmates at Northwood High School Shreveport. As fate would have it this golf course encounter would play a major role in both a personal and business relationship.

Though Richard and Walter had separate business careers they maintained a friendship through weekend golf and their wives, who both happened to be teachers in the Caddo Parish School System, all having graduated from Northwood since its opening in 1967. In fact, their lives were intertwined even then as Patti Kelly taught Richard’s children, Ryan and Nealy and Bab taught Walter and Patti’s daughter Melissa.

In 1993 Richard convinced Walter that a career in the insurance business might be worth pursuing plus Richard had a vision that one day they would have their own agency. With hope for the future, Walter Kelly, entered the Property and Casualty insurance business on the Program Management side. In 1997 Richard Beach decided the time was right for that “golf course vision” to become a reality and both he and Walter took the first step in forming Pelican General Agency.

Even though they faced giant hurdles in the beginning, the business partners stayed focused and kept their “eye on the ball”. The mission statement for Pelican General Agency in 1998 was to simply provide an underwriting profit to their carrier and reinsurance partners by constantly striving to be an underwriting facility rather than a production facility. As Mark Twain once said, “Always do right this will gratify some people and astonish the rest”. Though ownership and management has changed throughout the years, Pelican General Agency has not wavered from their original mission.

In 2011 Richard Beach decided to semi-retire and sold his interest in Pelican General to Patrick Kelly, Walter’s son and now business partner. Walter and Patrick are now the sole shareholders of the company. Richard continues as a consultant on a parttime basis while son-in-law, Grey Digilormo, who joined the firm in 2006, serves as the Property Casualty Underwriting Manager. Grey was a former graduate and football coach at Northwood.

Since the inception of Pelican General Agency, and as they celebrate their 15th Anniversary, the principals of Pelican have lived by a disciplined and ingrained philosophy. They provide hands-on ownership and are involved in the daily operation of all facets of the business and its operation.

Pelican has grown to offer a well-rounded and diversified portfolio that includes Commercial Auto, unusual Brokerage Risks through Lloyd’s of London, General Liability, Property, Inland Marine and Towing and Recovery throughout Louisiana and Arkansas. Their commitment is to place the customer first by providing the independent insurance agent with various products through “A” rated carriers and by doing so with a smile.

So, as you see, golf is not merely a leisure sport. For Walter and Richard and their families it turned into a four-hour business meeting that both influenced and affected their lives forever.

Happy Anniversary, Pelican!