THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 19, 1995 TAG: 9503170181
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Business
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FRANKLIN LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
In 1972, a century after Manry-Rawls Corp. Insurance was founded, E. Warren Beale Jr. left his family's packing company to sell insurance for the independent agency.
Beale, a Southampton County native, quickly became one of the firm's vice presidents. Then, in 1988, after the death of the former president, Beale - then 44 and the youngest of the company's executives - was tapped for the top spot.
Recently, Beale's business savvy earned him another distinction. He was named the 1994 Business Person of the Year by the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Beale, always modest, tries to share the award with his employees and those who came before them.
``There's no question that it is truly a team effort,'' Beale said. ``There are a lot of people responsible who were there before me and who are there now who are the heart and soul of the company. I'm just one.''
His employees nominated him for the annual award that honors an outstanding leader of a business with 50 or fewer local employees.
``Warren is there for us,'' his employees wrote in their letter of nomination. ``He guides each of us daily as we strive to provide the best coverage and service to our customers.''
``He sets a good example,'' said his secretary, Ann Kellogg. ``He wants people to be treated like we would want to be treated.''
Manry-Rawls sells homeowner, automobile, farm, crop, commercial and life insurance and provides financial services.
The company has about 60 employees, 37 of them in the headquarters in Franklin and in Courtland, where the firm started. The company has also expanded beyond Southampton County to Smithfield, Waverly and Colonial Heights.
Beale, 51, graduated from Southampton High School and has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Virginia Tech. He and his wife, Carolyn, live in Courtland and have two children: Allison, a junior at Virginia Tech, and Michael, a sophomore at Southampton Academy.
He is on the agents' advisory board of the Montgomery Mutual Insurance Co. and PMA Group. He is a past director of the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia. He has always been involved in numerous church, community and civic activities.
``It's a way for me to give back to the community,'' he said.
He is chairman of the board of trustees of Courtland United Methodist Church and chairman of the board of directors of Southampton Memorial Hospital.
He is a past president of the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Courtland Ruritan Club and the Franklin-Southampton Hokie Club. He is a past director of the James L. Camp Jr. YMCA and the Cypress Cove Country Club.
He has been the local campaign chairman for the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society.
He has also been active in politics. He was a member of the Courtland Town Council from 1970 to 1976 and mayor from 1976 to 1980. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Beale
by CNB