Get to Know the Collin Palmer Agency, Bison

by Lura Roti

Growing up the family joke was that Collin Palmer would become an insurance agent.

“I grew up on my grandpa’s ranch and Grandpa always said I should sell insurance so I would have enough time to ride horses and rodeo,” shared Palmer, a rodeo athlete and the new Farmers Union Insurance Agent for the Bison agency.

Palmer’s grandpa is Lonnie Krause, and he raises Quarter Horses on the family’s ranch near Bison. The ranch is also where Palmer has his insurance office today.

A 2022 business administration/marketing and social media graduate of Black Hills State University, Palmer competed in tie down roping and team roping on the collegiate rodeo team. Today, when he has spare time, he continues to compete on the amateur circuit.

New to the insurance business, Palmer doesn’t have a lot of spare time right now. But he does see many parallels between his favorite sport and new career. “Unlike basketball or other sports, in rodeo you not only get to know the athletes you are competing against, but you get to know their families,” Palmer explained. “You know each other so well that when someone needs a hand, there is always someone stepping up to help. With insurance, it is important to get to know your customers well so that you understand what their needs are, and you can help them have the coverage they need to protect their assets.”

In order to get to know his customers and their needs, Palmer spends much of his time out in the field making home and ranch visits.

“I love the fact that as an insurance agent I am not tied to a desk all day – yes there is a lot of time that I spend doing paperwork – but I spend a lot of time out meeting with customers and making sure they have the coverage they need.”

Along with serving as an insurance agent, Palmer also partners with his brother, Conner, to raise cattle on his grandpa’s ranch. Because he grew up on his grandpa’s ranch, Palmer understands the devastation a storm can cause or a baler fire. And he wants to make sure the families he serves have the coverage they need.

“It’s my job to help minimize risk of loss when they have a terrible accident or a bad storm comes through.”