Bear continues coverage of Stanly, beyond [The Stanly News and Press, Albemarle, N.C.]

Apr. 5--One Stanly County legend is known affectionately as "Bear" for his prowess as a football lineman. He lettered four years at Duke from 1943-1946 as a two-way guard and even made All-American.

Yet while his nickname and reputation as a football elite are impressive, for most of his customer base in Stanly County, Ernest "Bear" Knotts is best known as the consummate gentleman who looks out for the best interest of his customers, many of whom have been with him for decades.

After giving pro football a shot with the elite Chicago Bears of George "Papa" Halas, Ernest M. "Bear" Knotts began a business career with Southern Bell in 1947 while continuing to play football for three years with the Charlotte Clippers, a minor league pro team.

"Pro football sure wasn't the same back then as it is today," said Bear, referring to the astronomical salaries and long seasons of today's game.

The Clippers season was three-months long and players had to work other jobs to make ends meet.

Shortly after entering business, Bear returned to Albemarle and took over the Lloyd Skidmore Insu-rance Agency and became a Provident Life & Casualty general agent.

From that beginning in the latter 1940s, Bear began buying other agencies and within years had taken over several other agencies, bundling all under Bear Insurance Services, Inc. His insurance business offered life, accident, health, fire and automotive insurance and served many customers across North and South Carolina.

"Over the years, we've offered insurance products from at least 15 insurance companies and have had more than 50 years with several of them," Bear said.

Travelers and Utica Insurance companies are two companies with plaques hanging on Bear's walls.

"We've always prided ourselves on giving our customers the best coverages available," he said.

Back in 2000, Bear decided to sell his insurance agency and did so to a group of four of his long-time employees -- his daughter, Brin Timberlake, who began full-time in 1988; Jim Harwood, who joined the company in 1986 and whose mother worked for Bear for more than 30 years; Anthony Lowder, who started in 1991; and Paul Childress, who started with Bear and did a stint with Wachovia Bank before returning.

In 2006, Bear Insurance Services expanded to Locust.

Today, there are 13 total em-ployees in the company -- nine in the Albe-marle office and four in Locust, but the tradition of service to the customer continues as it has for more than six decades now.

Speaking to that customer service tradition, Jim Harwood said: "We try to put our customers first. We're one of the few businesses that work hard to cut our own commission, but we all agree, that income will take care of itself in the long run if we take good care of our customers."

Contact Jim Lisk at (704) 982-2121 ext. 28 or [email protected].

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