Croley Insurance settles into new, larger digs on Battlefield Road

by Maria Hoover

Inside Business Editor

mhoover@sbj.net

Sometimes circumstances make business renovations or remodeling impossible for companies and relocation is the only option for meeting business needs. Such was the case for Croley Insurance and Financial Inc., which Aug. 1 moved into a new 5,400-square-foot building at 3705 E. Battlefield Road.

The company had been in its previous location at 3130 S. Fremont Ave. for a decade, said co-owner Andrea Croley. But the 2,500-square-foot location was inadequate for the company's needs.

"The situation we were in we loved the location. However, we did not have enough room in the parking lot for our clients. And then as we grew, we did not have enough room for all of our employees," said Croley.

As the company began to outgrow the location, the first step was seeing whether any neighboring properties were available for purchase so that the company could expand, Croley said.

"We were landlocked. Neither of the people on either side wanted to sell at that point, so that gave us no choice there," she said.

Several pieces of property were considered, Croley said. While the Battlefield site wasn't the company's first choice, Croley said, it didn't take long to discover some of the benefits, including highway access.

"I cannot tell you how much easier it is to get in and out when you're closer to the highway," she said.

The company also has room for expansion on its new site.

"We're at about 5,400 square feet, and we have another 10,000 square feet for expansion so that allows our office to grow and expand," she said.

When the company built on Fremont, Croley said, there weren't as many businesses along that stretch. She expects that same type of growth on Battlefield Road.

"We personally feel that this is going to be a great location, because right now it's zoned for planned development, so that means that other businesses, hopefully, will be out in this area," Croley said.

The general contractor for the new building, which cost about $700,000, was Joe Kitsmiller, and the architect was Sam A. Winn & Associates Architects PC. Engineers were Anderson Engineering Inc. for civil; Jack Haney, PE, for structural; and Malone, Finkle Eckhardt & Collins Inc. for HVAC.