rinity Insurance now has two locations: one at 4439 Gollihar Road and a second at 809 S. Port Ave. President Sam Armadillo and Vice President Grace Lerma-Armadillo began the business 15 years ago. Photo by Jane Kathleen Gregorio
When Sam Armadillo and Grace Lerma-Armadillo started Trinity Insurance in 2003, they only had $200 in the bank. Within the first three years, however, their company had reached a $1 million sales mark for policies.
“Which is rare for the insurance industry and for a Hispanic small business,” said Grace Lerma-Armadillo, Trinity’s vice president.
Along with business partner Sam Armadillo, who serves as president, Trinity Insurance continues to grow as a profitable corporation, expanding to a second location at 809 S. Port Ave.
The Armadillos attribute their success to faith, honesty, and a positive attitude.
“Since 17 years old, I began as a file clerk for an insurance agency but worked my way up to do personal lines, eventually getting into commercial lines and becoming a full line agent,” Lerma-Armadillo said. “I now have 27 years’ experience in the insurance field.”
Business partner Sam believed they had the knowledge and skills to branch out on their own.
“She knew all the ins and outs of the industry, and I told her we should start our own company,” said Armadillo, who himself had been working in the insurance industry since 1999.
The idea to start Trinity Insurance came as a leap of faith. To support this endeavor, Sam Armadillo took on two other jobs, working for a pest control company and stocking merchandise at a beer company part time.
The company opened in November 2003. Starting with auto insurance policies, Trinity also included personal and commercial insurance lines with homeowners and commercial being the largest departments. As the business became more profitable, the Armadillos let go of their other jobs to dedicate themselves to Trinity Insurance.
After reaching its $1 million sales milestone, Trinity Insurance became a corporation in 2013. Fast forward to present day: The corporation continues to have profitable sales. Creating a positive experience for customers has helped the company grow through word-of-mouth referrals.
“Customers have told us they love the personal attention and feel secure that we take care of their accounts,” Lerma-Armadillo said. “We’ve been told how much they love the friendly atmosphere each time they visit. They enjoy how we treat them as family because we know each client on a personal level.”
Trinity Insurance will continue to cover all its clients’ insurance needs, regardless of how big or small.
“We don’t want to limit any customers, whether it’s a $30-a-month policy or $300,000 policy for the whole year,” Armadillo said. “This commitment to service has brought us many recurring clients. We have many auto insurance customers who have been with us many years. We want them to feel like family and feel comfortable with our expertise and knowledge in insurance.”
Despite their busy schedules, the Armadillos are still able to find balance.
“Weekdays from 9-5 we are business partners, but evenings and weekends are times dedicated for family,” Lerma-Armadillo said.
As president, Sam Armadillo plans to move the business forward by opening new locations to better serve their clients. The recently opened second location on Port Avenue is just the start.
“Now, having two locations, our clients closer to this side of town are happy to know they don’t have to travel so far,” Armadillo said. “Grace runs the first location on Gollihar, and I operate from this location on Port Avenue. We hope to expand to other parts of Corpus Christi as well.”
As an independent agent, Trinity Insurance offers insurance coverage from a variety of different companies.
“We shop around to give customers the best package possible,” Armadillo said. “We will be going paperless and accessible from computers anywhere we go. We will always provide good customer service to our clients, and they will always have a reliable agent with us. Our motto is: ‘Protection you want at the price you need.’”
The main office for Trinity Insurance is located at 4439 Gollihar Road in Corpus Christi. The newest location is at 809 S. Port Ave., also in Corpus Christi. For more information, call (361) 854-8600 or visit trinityinsuranceonline.net.
