MINT HILL, NC – If you drive down Idlewild Road, it’s hard to miss State Farm agent Brad Corriher’s office. The small building located at 9539 Idlewild Road has a massive State Farm sign with Corriher’s name and phone number emblazoned on it.

“It’s even better at night. You can practically see it from outer space. Well, that’s my hope anyway,” he says with a laugh.

Corriher’s been an agent since 2016, but the Idlewild Road office has been his business’s home since the end of 2020.  “I love that I can plant my flag here. This is our permanent home. We’re putting down roots here in Mint Hill,” he says.

Corriher originally hails from Mocksville, North Carolina, a small town just outside of Winston-Salem. Though he arrived at Duke University with the goal of becoming an optometrist, he quickly switched his plans.  “Organic chemistry had a different idea,” he says. 

Corriher first learned about State Farm after joining its Youth Advisory Board, which helps distribute grants to non-profits. He says he loved both the charitable component and the company culture and was hooked. After he graduated, he moved to State Farm headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois, to work full-time as the head of the board. 

Later, Corriher spent three years working for State Farm’s catastrophe team. While on the ground helping victims of natural disasters, Corriher says he realized just how impactful the relationship between an insurance company and a customer can be.

“I was seeing customers at their most vulnerable,” he says.  “Their house had burned down or been blown apart by a tornado. And day in and day out I was seeing how important State Farm now was in helping this person rebuild their life.”

This connection prompted Corriher to want to become an agent. When he opened his doors, he was starting totally from scratch and was his own first customer. As the business continues to grow, he says fostering connections in the Mint Hill community remains a top priority. 

“I’m a big believer in working where you live. If I’m doing business with someone who says they’re local, I want to be able to drop by their office easily or run into them out to dinner on the weekends,” he says.

Corriher calls Mint Hill a “vibrant community” and says he loves how it seamlessly blends a small-town feel with close proximity to anything you could need. He hopes his office can become one of the reasons people enjoy living here.

“I want everyone to see our office as a community space,” he says.  “This is a place where you can come have your children’s faces painted for Halloween. This is where you can come to get a picture with Santa,” he adds, referencing the free community events his office has put on this year and plans to continue in 2022.

Beyond building community connections, Corriher is also passionate about the educational component of his industry.  “If you learn about State Farm and our products and decide to work with us, that’s great. Of course we’d love that. But as long as you walk out of our office with more knowledge and clarity, that’s what matters to me,” he says.

Additionally, Corriher says there are a few insurance misconceptions that he hopes he can clear up.   “People know we offer home and auto insurance, but I don’t think a lot of people realize the full range of products and services we offer,” he says.  “Whether you’re a 16-year-old kid getting your license for the first time or a small business owner or a person thinking about retirement, State Farm can be with you throughout so many different stages of life.”

This long-term relationship allows a high degree of trust to develop between Corriher’s team and their customers, something he says they don’t take lightly.

“If I bring my car to the mechanic, I’m trusting that person and their recommendations because I don’t know a lot about cars. It’s the same thing in my field. I don’t care whether you’re a professional athlete or a nurse or a truck driver. Most people don’t know all that much about insurance, and they’re trusting our office to do right by them. Earning and keeping that trust is incredibly important to us,” Corriher says.

When asked for any parting thoughts, Corriher offers a few in rapid-fire succession. “We’d love to answer any questions people might have. Quotes are free. And we’re hiring!” he says.

Oh, and before you ask: yes, he does wear khakis.