A Century of Family Tradition and Dedicated Service

Charles J. Sellers & Co., Inc. was founded in 1920 by Charles J. Sellers and his wife, Pearl M. Sellers. They were both hard workers and excellent salespeople. Charles started off as a New England Life agent before he went into business for himself. He was kind, thoughtful, and enjoyed a good teasing now and again. Pearl was “little but mighty” with strong hands, excellent organizational skills, and an even stronger love for her family. Together, these two were the perfect match, and their company saw tremendous success. Charles and Pearl pioneered the distribution of group insurance, starting with the employees of the City of Buffalo and the County of Erie in 1937 and expanding to Medical Societies and Bar Associations starting in 1941.

Five years later, their son Charles J. Sellers, Jr. joined his parents in the business, to be joined later by his wife Geraldine Sellers. Before joining the Agency, Geraldine taught grammar school, while Charles Jr. taught aeronautical engineering and flying to pilots during WWII. They decided to bring their teaching backgrounds into the family business and used their experience to expand the Agency across the entire State of New York. In 1962, Charles and Pearl retired, making Charles Jr. the President and Geraldine the Vice President.  Charles Jr. recognized the power of computer technology for service and sales, and took full advantage to grow the business. Over the years, they taught their children about the insurance business until they knew it backward and forward. Six of their seven children have worked at the Agency at some point.

In 1991, their son Charles J. Sellers, III became President following twenty-two years with the Agency. Under Charlie’s leadership, a full array of products was made available to attorneys, working with the statewide New York Criminal & Civil Courts Bar Association. Today the agency offers endorsed insurance programs throughout New York State to members of 46 Medical Societies and 9 Bar Associations.  Charlie and his brother, Thomas G. Sellers, are currently the senior officers of the Agency. Their sisters, Mary Sellers Pici, and Eileen Sellers Fitzgibbons, retired in 2014 and 2016 respectively, after dedicating their professional careers to the Agency.

As of 2023, the fourth generation of Sellers now share responsibility in the Agency’s operations. Charlie’s daughter, Kate Sellers, is Vice President of Sales. Tom’s daughter, Ann Sellers, is the Assistant Vice President of Operations. Amy Fitzgibbons Burnett, Vice President of Operations, is the daughter of Tom and Charlie’s sister Eileen. Amy, Ann, and Kate, all great-granddaughters of the original founders, will carry the Agency’s legacy into the future.

Everyone at Sellers & Co. is looking forward to the next hundred years!