Duane Smith Among CBJ's Most Influential
posted by TrueNorth Companies on Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Duane Smith, CEO of TrueNorth, has been recognized as one of 2017's Most Influential People in the Eastern Iowa Corridor.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Corridor Business Journal's annual publication of the Most Influential poll, which includes a diverse range of business and community leaders, such as University of Iowa's Head Football Coach, Kirk Ferentz (#6) and New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo)'s Eric Engelmann (#4). TrueNorth's Duane Smith ranks #15 on the list. This is the fifth time Duane has made the CBJ list, and 2017 marks his fourth consecutive year.
The Most Influential list is created based on the results of a survey sent out to Corridor Business Journal subscribers. The premise of this list is to formally recognize the men and women who have made a significant contribution to their respective businesses, industries and communities. You can find a full list of those recognized here.
Duane began his entrepreneurial career at the age of ten as a paperboy for the local newspaper in Lamont, Iowa. This entrepreneurial spirit flourished as Smith grew, eventually leading him the University of Northern Iowa. After graduating with a business degree, Smith returned home to expand his father's small insurance agency and opened two more offices in Strawberry Point and Arlington, Iowa. In 1986, Smith opted to move the business to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, operating the business under the name Insurance Service Corp.
In 2001, Insurance Service Corp merged with Davis Jones Lamb and Verhille & Associates to create TrueNorth Companies. The firm's six founding principals appointed Smith President and CEO. Since its creation, TrueNorth has grown from approximately $9 million to $67 million in revenue - a 700 percent increase since its founding. With Smith's leadership, TrueNorth continually ranks among the nation's top 5000 companies (for the seventh consecutive year!) and has been recognized as an Elite Agency and a 2017 finalist for Retail Agency of the Year by Insurance Business America.
CBJ's 2017 Most Influential list is comprised of many great leaders and TrueNorth is privileged to call one of them our own. Congratulations, Duane on this very special honor!
For additional information on Duane Smith's recognition, please contact Kirsten Eddins, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy at TrueNorth Companies.