Stephen and wife, Joy |
Steve LeClaire, president of Stephen Benjamin
Insurance Agency Inc. is the
3rd generation owner of the agency that has been well
established in the Blackstone Valley for over 70 years. He brings
more than 25 years of expertise in both Personal and Commercial Property
Casualty insurance issues, as well as Financial Services.
Steve assumed the helm as president in 1994. Steve’s
business philosophy echoes that of the agency’s
founder, his grandfather, Stephen E. Benjamin, as
well as his parents. He states;“I think I absorbed
my parents' and grandparents' philosophy by
osmosis,” LeClaire says. “The business mantra of ‘do
unto others’ and all that isn’t owned by their
generation; that’s timeless." |
"I also learned that you do the
right thing, never cheat or cut corners, and do your
best to genuinely help others. I can sleep at night
knowing I’ve given clients the best advice possible.
They may not always like the answer, but my staff
and I have educated our clients as best we can, and
we have done the job of protecting them as
affordably as we are able.”
Over the years, LeClaire has developed his latent
talent for understanding the needs of his clients.
What he likes best about the business is getting to
know people and learning about how they do their
work. “When I talk with people, I try to use real
life examples and relate it to their field,” he
says. Explaining the difference between property
damage and bodily injury to a carpenter, for
example, he’ll say, “If you’re on a ladder and drop
a hammer on a car, that’s property damage. If you
drop it on someone’s head, that’s bodily injury.”
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LeClaire’s love for his hometown prompted a yearlong
research project that resulted in a book co-authored
with his brother John. “A Century of Sutton Sports”
is a history compiled from a wonderful assortment of
anecdotes and stories from generations of Sutton
residents. Interviewing some of the town’s old
timers for the book gave him a new appreciation for
growing up in the heart of the Blackstone Valley.
Read more on page 8 of this of the Worcester
Business Journal's coverage of
Benjamin Agency's 70th Anniversary. |
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After 25 years in the family business LeClaire says
he “relishes the challenges of keeping Benjamin
Insurance relevant and competitive” while
maintaining his love of music. Though he plays a
variety of instruments, the tenor saxophone is his
main focus. Over the years, LeClaire has shared the
stage with well-known artists such as Aerosmith, Joe
Cocker, Clarence Clemons, James Montgomery and
others. He can be found throughout Central
Massachusetts with his 10-piece rhythm & blues band,
The Valves. His “Tornado Alley Horns,” the
four-piece horn section of The Valves, play as
sidemen with countless other acts. They’ve performed
at the new Hanover Theater, as well as the Worcester
DCU Center. In 2008, LeClaire released a CD of his
own music, titled “Sorry, We’re Open.” The CD
contains 13 original tunes; “Ben’s Song — A World
With No Dreams,” is about his son’s struggle with
autism.
Steve can still be found performing locally with his sax. If
you'd like to read more about Steve's musical passion,
link
to his musical site here. |
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