If you don’t know the Menendez family or rely on their firm Global Insurance & Financial Services, it means you haven’t lived in town long enough, or you didn’t attend Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School.
“What’s been able to give us success is the ties into Miami Lakes,” said Richard Menendez, co-owner and chief financial officer of the full-service business that is in its third decade. “We’ve been here for a very, very long time.”
The company is independent and sells policies for homeowners; personal and commercial autos; general liability; commercial property; worker’s compensation and to the marine industry.
“We grew up in Hialeah and went to HML, all of us,” Richard, 56, said. “We’re proud Trojans. Our friends lived here in Miami Lakes. Liz Cue at the front desk is a senior at HML. It’s a requirement [to work here]. As long as you’re not from the Hialeah Thoroughbreds. I’m joking!”
The office vibe is relaxed, but knowledgeable. His wife Jessica Menendez, 56, is vice president and incorporated the business with him in 2003.
“She’s the boss,” Menendez said. “I’m the neck, she’s the head.”
The couple own most of the company. President Angie Del Valle, 39, is the principal agent.
“She started with us in the very beginning, started a year after we opened,” he said. “She grew up in our house, she’s like a daughter.”
From Art to Insurance
Richard and his brother Julio Menendez, an agent at the firm who specializes in risk management, got started in business with their cousin Gabriel Morales.
In 1996, they opened Frames Express Sports & Art on Bull Run Road near Main Street, while Jessica worked for State Farm.
In 2003, Jessica decided she wanted to work for herself. She and Richard formed Global Insurance that year. Jessica built it on her own for the first decade while Richard and Julio continued working at the frame shop.
“We began by selling one policy at a time, and built it slowly,” Jessica said. “We didn’t buy an existing book of business.”
In 2009, the company moved to its current headquarters, Miami Lakes Corporate Plaza Office Condominiums at 6175 NW 153rd St.
The frame shop was sold in 2013, and the brothers joined Global Insurance.
“We had so many people who knew us from the frame business, from going to school here, dinner out, at the parks where my kids played. I coached at Optimist for a while,” Richard said. “It was an easy transition to insurance.
“We’re probably right around the 5,000 mark for clients, who have multiple policies,” Richard said.
Among them is Miami Lakes Mayor Josh Dieguez.
“I’ve been a customer of Global Insurance Agency for years, and they handle my car insurance and home insurance,” Dieguez said. “I’ve never had any complaints and when I have questions, they have gone above and beyond to address them and always get me the best value they can find in the market. I am always recommending them to others.”
The Menendezes back Dieguez’s political career and bought a table for the Nov. 14 Mayor’s Gala, which funds the Special Needs Advisory Board.
“He’s a family friend forever,” Richard said. “Anything he’s doing, I’m supporting.”
Added Julio, “Josh is one of us.”
Family is everything to them. One of Richard and Jessica’s children, Ruben Menendez and his wife Brenda Curiel, run the expansion office in Orlando that opened in 2024. The company bought another agency and a building there this year.
Between them, they’ve seen it all in their industry and they have lots of stories.
Julio said to help customers save money, they’ll offer free quotes and comparisons to policies they may already have.
“I’ll always give the client the option and if I can’t beat it, I’ll tell them to stay where they are at,” Julio said. “I think clients appreciate that. Most agents won’t tell them that.
“For me, the two big things that contribute to our success are the way we treat our clients,” Julio said. “We become family. And from the relationships we have with our brokers, our carriers, we can get our clients more options with better results, not only a lower premium but better coverage.”
The firm strives to be versatile in what products they sell, nourish relationships with issuers and customers and say their high sales volume attracts more policy writers.
“In insurance we sell a service,” Richard said. “If you’re good at service you’ll be able to retain and get new customers.
“Not every agency is cut the same,” he said. “I might have products that I can offer you that the other agency next door does not have. Being we’ve had the success in volume and longevity and reputation, other companies ask us to represent them in their product.”
They recently started selling policies from Geico and for commercial customers, Johnson & Johnson, Inc.
“We’re in the same playing field as the big ones,” he said. “We’re smaller in size but have access to the same insurance companies …Volume has a big influence on the companies, whether they appoint you or not. They want to see big numbers. Then you have a good chance that you’ll be able to cross sell their product to the customer.”
For Property and Casualty accounts, “We do A to Z,” Richard said.
Clients include a herd of cows in central Florida and a chemist who created medicines.
“And that took forever to insure, because we had to get all the chemicals he was getting, break it down in the proportions he was using and have underwriters review it with their scientists,” Richard said.
For commercial policy holders, “It’s important not to delay when it’s time to renew or get a quote on a policy,” Jessica said.
“There’s paperwork for every kind of coverage,” she said. “Issuers may want more information before releasing a quote. Because of our relationships, they’ll put us in the front of the line, but you still want to start early for commercial renewals. It’s not automatic like with homeowners or auto policies.”
Tips for Customers
Global Insurance tells customers to save money, they should seek credits or discounts for steps they take to lessen liability. For homeowners, “If you install impact windows, have ties on tresses, that will help,” Richard said. “An agent can research credits and discounts.”
Safe drivers may qualify for discounts too. Progressive will put a computer in your car for a month to measure performance, he said.
“If you have multiple policies, an auto and a renter’s policy, Progressive Insurance will give a discount, which would be good for a lot of Miami Lakes residents,” he said.
Boat owners get checked out by the Menendezes who are recreational boaters too and have a marine insurance division, Seasurance, Inc.
“Policies are written for named operators who are qualified captains,” Menendez said. Because of high risk, “Nobody likes to write boats here.”
The reasons? Inexperienced operators, or owners of fast vessels who may pack on more horsepower than a boat is designed for, or who may modify engines with nitrous oxide to give them a burst of speed for amateur drag races.
The bottom line when buying insurance: “Don’t do anything you feel uncomfortable with,” Richard said. “And don’t cut corners just to save money.”
Goals
The company wants to continue to expand within Florida and out of state; implement a succession plan and continue to educate the public about insurance.
“We’re blessed that we’re at this stage of our life, by the size of the agency, the longevity we’ve had for 20 years,” Richard said.