Our independent insurance agency opened its doors in 1924 as the R.C. Bodenhamer Agency and sold insurance and real estate for El Dorado, Arkansas and surrounding areas. In 1955 the Bodenhamer Agency moved to our current location only a few blocks from the beautiful downtown El Dorado. Our agency sits on the corner of Washington and Peach Street. In 1959 the Bodenhamer Agency sold to the beloved Charles VanNess and Harry Bodenhamer and continued operating under its name. Harry Bodenhamer sold his stock to Robert (Bob) Hosford in 1965 and with the change in ownership the name was changed to VanNess & Hosford Agency. It continued operating under that ownership for a good 20 years. In 1985 there was a merger with Thompson Holloway Agency and the name then changed to VanNess, Hosford, and Archer, Inc. Operations of real estate and insurance continued in the office until 1990 when post-merger the only ownership present was Charles VanNess and Ben McCurry. Operations continued under the name of McCurry & VanNess until 1995. Paul Choate and James (Jimbo) Matheney partnered together in 1995 to purchase the agency and it was at that time the name was changed to Choate & Matheney, Inc., and in 1996 together they purchased the Franques Insurance Agency's business. We began to use the short name CMI Insurance in 2000. In 2001 the agency was disheartened when Jimbo became ill. As Jimbo underwent treatment, he and Paul reached an agreement for the purchase of his portion of the business in 2004. Paul was the primary agent and sole principal until January 1, 2023, when he was sworn in as mayor. Today Paul's daughter, Emily Wyatt, who has been working with CMI since 2005 is now the managing member and overall daily operations.
Emily and her husband Todd Wyatt have continued to operate the agency since Paul was elected Mayor of El Dorado. Emily has been running the commercial lines department of the agency, selling life and health insurance, and has been responsible for managing the daily operations of the business since 2015. Todd works outside salesand special marketing campaigns.
Excellent customer service and face-to-face communication is a high priority for us. You’ll never deal with 1-800 numbers or frustrating automated messages when you work with our team. We believe that protecting every aspect of your life is a personal journey, so we want to get to know you personally. Whether it’s a new policy or just a simple question, we want to be your quick, reliable source for all things insurance.