Centennial Spotlight: Monumental Legacies

Readers of Eriesense magazine are familiar with the benefits of personal insurance policies. But ERIE’s superb coverage offerings and exceptional service have also come standard in more than just personal home, auto and life policies. Since it began selling commercial insurance in the 1950s, ERIE has been a key partner to many businesses where you live, insuring their interests and supporting their community.

More than a few businesses have entrusted their insurance needs with ERIE for the long haul—30, 40, sometimes 50 years. Meet a small sampling of them.

Monumental Legacies

It should come as no surprise that ERIE Customers value reliability. At Freeport Monumental Works, you could say quality is etched in stone.

Started in 1921 by Italian immigrant Pomponio Pofi, Freeport Monumental Works has served the Freeport, Pennsylvania, community for more than a century and has honored countless lives in perpetuity.

Tony Ranieri is the founder’s great-grandson, owner of Freeport and caretaker of his family’s business legacy.

“I take a lot of pride in being able to look after and run the business that’s been in my family for generations,” he says. “I’m hopeful my son will take it on someday. He’s shown an interest and will start working with me soon.”

He and his team of three are also keepers of Freeport’s highest standards for every memorial stone they produce.

It begins with the granite they source from Vermont.

“It’s the best granite in the world,” Tony says. “Lower-quality granite will hold moisture and darken very easily. “We’ve probably been getting this granite from the same quarry in Vermont since day one.”

While Pomponio started with a hammer and chisel, Tony and his team use more advanced methods. They create computer-designed layouts as options for the families and loved ones of the deceased. Once a design is determined, the team orders the monument in the chosen shape, size and color before they engrave using lasers and sandblasting.

Freeport will then install the completed monument at the grave site.

The job is unique in its demand for physical strength, craftsmanship and empathy in serving grieving families.

“We understand that we’re creating something that families are going to remember their loved ones by,” Tony says. “We take our responsibilities very seriously.”

The personal touch is also what keeps Freeport as Customers of ERIE after nearly five decades. Tony also appreciates the local service he receives with his Agent, Bob Hallman of Hallman Agency LLC.

“They’re a family business just like me, and it’s nice to know they’re just a phone call away,” he says. “Actually, just a few blocks away, so I can walk there.”

A Dove’s Story

Between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west, not far from where the North Fork of the Shenandoah River rises, is the kind of scenic setting that practically calls you to explore.

Since 1970, Dove’s Camper Sales has helped answer the call, selling countless RVs, campers and other outdoor recreation items to customers looking to satisfy their wanderlust. And Erie Insurance has been there, providing superior coverage, nearly the entire time.

Although founders Max and Millie Dove started the business somewhat by happenstance—Max came up with the idea while driving a truck and noticing the number of campers on the road—the business has become a mainstay in the family.

In addition to Max and Millie still working in their 80s, their daughter Tina, son Doug and granddaughter Bethany are all employed at Dove’s.

“It’s a real family affair,” said Millie.

If it wasn’t before, ERIE also became an integral part when the roof collapsed more than three decades ago.

In early March 1994, a heavy winter storm pummeled the East Coast, leaving Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley beneath a thick cover of snow. As usual, Dove’s was open for business when a heavy load of snow buckled the roof.

“I remember seeing the snow outside and I said to my son, ‘it’s going to collapse,’” Millie recalls. “Everyone laughed, but sure enough, when we get there, the front part of the roof had collapsed.”

Thanks to ERIE’s swift response, Dove’s was able to get back on its feet in no time. That’s not to say Millie and Max ever missed a beat, as Dove’s kept its doors open throughout, as usual.

“We’ve never missed a day of work,” Millie said.