News Photo by Steve Schulwitz From left to right, Alpena Agency’s Pete Wilson, left, Tanner Kostelic, Claire Kostelic, and Steve Wilson pose for a photo at the Alpena insurance office.

ALPENA — Insurance firm Alpena Agency was founded by Frank Bailey in 1930, during the Great Depression.

Since then, the family business has been handed down from generation to generation.

Today, the next generation is on the doorstep of taking over as Claire Kostelic and her husband, Tanner, prepare for their turn leading.

In 1955, Bailey turned the firm over to his son-in-law, Dick Wilson, who in turn put his sons in charge — Steve Wilson in 1989 and Pete Wilson in 1995.

Claire Kostelic is Steve Wilson’s daughter.

The Kostelics will assume duties at an undetermined date.

Steve Wilson said he has a feeling of pride and legacy knowing the business will stay in the family and continue to serve the people in Alpena. His daughter and son-in-law already have a good grip on how the insurance industry works, he said, and he is confident they will lead the office to many more years of success.

“It is awesome they chose to come back here, because we want to keep the business in the family,” he said. “It is going to be a wonderful opportunity for them to have their own business.”

Tanner and Claire Kostelic moved to Alpena from Traverse City, where they worked in the insurance field. They said they are happy to be home by family and look forward to settling into their new jobs, getting to know the staff, and being part of the community.

Claire Kostelic said she’d thought for years about taking over Alpena Agency.

“It was always something that was in the back of my mind,” she said. “It is going to be great to be a part of the family business and to know that they think we are good enough for them to take us on.”

When she and her husband take the reigns, Claire Kostelic said, she may feel a little pressure to live up to the standards that her great-grandfather, grandfather, and father have set before her.

“I think any time a child moves up to work in a family business, (he or she) will feel that sense of pressure,” she said. “I think, for now, the best thing is to … continue to learn.”

Because of the wealth of knowledge the family has about insurance and the community, the Kostelics will be able to seek advice from Steve and Pete Wilson, who will likely continue to be at the office when the transition takes place.

Pete Wilson said he’s excited to see what the Kostelics can achieve in coming years.

“We have a lot of history here — family history — and we are very proud of it,” he said. “I think, when it is a family business, you take a lot of pride in what you’re doing and how you represent not just yourself, but your ancestors and people that came before you. It makes you feel good.”

Tanner Kostelic, who is from the Flint area, said he is already in love with Alpena and excited to be a member of the community.

“I like it, because it has a little bit of a slower pace, less traffic,” he said. “When the idea was brought up, I never had any reservations at all. I think it is an exciting opportunity.”

Claire Kostelic said that, although there could be some minor changes down the road, she intends to hold onto the principle that superior customer service drives success.

“New ideas and outlooks on things are not bad, but I think it is important to continue to have the consistency we have always had, and to continue to have the strong reputation we have always had,” she said.