Kathy Garrett has relocated her State Farm office, shifting from its previous location on Avenue of the Fountains to its new home at 16921 E. Palisades Blvd., Ste 107. The business can still be reached at 480-637-0429 or found online at kathygarrettinsurance.com.

Garrett and her staff are all about insurance and financial services, covering homeowners, life insurance, auto insurance and some health insurance products. Garrett has been in the industry for four decades, bringing her expertise to Fountain Hills back in 1988.

“I’ve been with State Farm a long time,” Garrett said. “I was originally located [on N. Saguaro], where Sign Art is right now. I was there for about 10 years or so and then, in 2005, we moved to Avenue of the Fountains.”

In that location for 16 years, Garrett said she had always wanted to own her own office. When a colleague approached her about the new location opening up just down the road from the intersection of Saguaro and Palisades, she said she jumped at the chance.

“When I was asked if I would like to purchase this office, I said ‘Yeah, you bet.’ I’ve been working for State Farm for 40 years and have never had the opportunity to purchase an office,” Garrett said. “I loved the idea of owning, so I was very excited. I’m really happy to be owning my own place. We’re redecorating and we bought a bunch of new furniture.

“The staff is really happy here, too. They love it.”

Garrett’s staff includes Darlene Cleaver, Roxana Daymude, Karen Lomayma and Kim Templeton, in combination of which a visitor to the new State Farm location is likely to be greeted by as soon as they enter the office.

“Our service sets us apart,” Garrett said. “My staff is fantastic. I would say that right out of the chute, they are wonderful and great at what they do.”

Looking back over the decades, Garrett said she feels like she grew up with the community of Fountain Hills.

“It has exploded,” she said. “I remember before it was incorporated, and then all of the changes and growing pains that come with incorporation, and then all of the growth that has occurred since. It’s been pretty exciting.”

Garrett said she appreciates that Fountain Hills is a unique community that has changed over time.

“It used to be mostly seasonal residents, but now I’d guess 60 to 65 percent, maybe more, are not seasonal,” she added. “So as the town has grown up, we’ve had to adjust our business accordingly. I think the town has gotten more exciting over the years.”

State Farm was established in Fountain Hills pretty early on, with a single agent operating out of the original office.

“[State Farm] figured Fountain Hills was an up-and-coming town, so they wanted to put another agent out here,” Garrett said, noting that the company was correct about the prospects of the community and the fact it would only continue to grow and be populated with residents in need of their services.

And once she was here, Garrett said she fell in love.

“It’s beautiful, it’s always been growing, it’s a unique atmosphere and I just love being here,” Garrett said. “Only a couple years after I started working here, I moved here.”

Looking ahead, Garrett said she is excited to see Fountain Hills continue to evolve, a community she looks forward to continue serving as a local State Farm agent.

“I know this past year has been hard for a lot of people,” she said. “It was hard for us, too. But we found out that if you can really understand how to adapt, you can do just about anything. So we’re still here and we’re excited to keep working in this wonderful town. I think Fountain Hills is doing great and we will continue to do great.”