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Creswell Agency – Milan – Going Strong for 110 Years
We are pleased to introduce you to the Creswell Agency located in Milan. The agency has a long history serving the people of Milan, Gibson County and beyond for 110 years. Today, the agency is owned by Terry Carroll and his wife Debbie. They purchased the agency in 1986 from Peter Cooper.
First, it seems appropriate to provide you with some background on where the agency is located and a bit of history. The town of Milan is located at the intersection of US Highways 45E and 79 about 23 miles North of Jackson, Tennessee. It is the second largest town in Gibson County and was the home of the Milan Army Ammunition Plant. The 22,357 acre Milan Army Ammunition Plant (MLAAP) opened in 1942 for wartime munitions production which continued through the Korean War, Vietnam War, the First Gulf War and later. In August 2019, the Joint Munitions Command completed the movement of ammunition and explosive stocks stored at MLAAP and declared the plant no longer required for mission needs.
Today, Milan serves a primarily agricultural area and has become a bedroom community for Jackson, Tennessee. Milan is also the home of the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and the University of Tennessee Agricultural Research and Education Center. Milan holds the distinction of being the first area of Tennessee to employ no-till agricultural practices to protect and retain topsoil to enhance agricultural production over the long term. For many years, four class 1 rail lines passed through Milan with an Illinois Central rail line extending from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. It is interesting to note that Milan is the highest elevation of that rail line at 424 feet above sea level.
As previously mentioned, Terry and Debbie Carroll have owned and operated Creswell Insurance Agency since 1986. Terry has been in the insurance business since 1981. In those days, he attended the USF&G School of Insurance in Baltimore which was a great introduction to insurance policies, contracts, and the world of insurance. He received his Accredited Advisor in Insurance designation in 1983 and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) in 1998. He has maintained his CIC certification to this day. Terry states he is a strong advocate of professional insurance education. He is a graduate of Freed-Hardeman University where he earned a degree in business administration.
The agency focuses on providing commercial insurance to small businesses, personal lines, life insurance, and health insurance to the communities it serves. While Terry focused on commercial insurance and personal lines, his wife Debbie focused on life and health insurance through the years. These days, Debbie has reduced her time working in the agency, devoting more time to their grandchildren. Today, their son Chris is an important part of the agency serving as an agent and will assume the reigns of leadership in the future. Terry points out that his staff is also a key part of their success over the years.
The agency has been a member of the Insurors of Tennessee since 1986 and is a Trusted Choice agency. Terry credits his membership in the association with providing he and his staff with the professional education and development they needed to grow their business and serve clients. He made a point to say that he greatly appreciated the leadership and guidance of Jim Alexander and Chuck Bidek in his formative years in the insurance business. He also emphasized the value and importance of the relationships he has able to build across the state with other members of the Insurors of Tennessee. The agency is also Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider (ELP) for West Tennessee which has extended the agency’s market reach in the region.
Terry has been active in the community for many years having served as president of the Milan Lions Club and the Milan Chamber of Commerce. Terry also served on the Gibson County Commission. He is a deacon of Chapel Hill Baptist Church and is involved in several other community related activities.
Terry and Debbie enjoy travelling and are nearing their goal of visiting every state in America. This year they are planning on visiting the last eight states to complete their adventure. Terry is an avid University of Tennessee fan and enjoyed watching the Vols win the Orange Bowl in Miami this year. However, Terry noted that his son Chris is not on board with the “Big Orange” being a devoted Ole Miss fan making numerous trips with his wife to Oxford, MS to see Ole Miss sports events. u