State National Dedicates Ledbetter Park in Honor of Company’s Founders

State National Companies welcomed founders Lonnie and Terry (and, in spirit, Garry) Ledbetter for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, June 9, to officially dedicate the newly constructed Ledbetter Park at the company’s headquarters in Bedford, Texas.

The approximately 12,000-square-foot outdoor gathering area was built to honor the three Ledbetter brothers who founded State National Companies in 1973.

The dedication ceremony kicked off a “Spring Into Wellness” event, featuring yoga demonstrations, healthy meals, and a “One-Mile Wellness Walk” to launch a “60-Day Walking Challenge” initiative. “Spring Into Wellness” is part of State National’s larger initiative to keep employees safe and healthy as they begin transitioning from working from home to a hybrid work environment. Community outreach components included a Carter Blood Care drive that collected enough donations to save 42 lives and a bottled water drive that supplied 216 cases of water to help the Bedford Fire Department restock after Texas’s February storms.

As employees admired the park’s outdoor seating, tree canopy, two bocce ball courts, and unique three-stone fountain representing the three brothers, Lonnie and Terry Ledbetter wielded oversized ceremonial gold scissors to cut the ribbon marking the park’s official opening. State National’s current President and CEO, Matt Freeman, spoke to a crowd of SNC employees, past and present, and members of the Ledbetter family to begin the ceremony:

“It’s not often there’s a situation where a company that was founded as far back as 1973 by three brothers, two of whom are still with us and here today, and extended family members who have worked at the company over the years, have created the magnitude of success this organization has had. I’m incredibly honored to be a part of it, and excited to look forward to the next chapter as part of the Markel family. In my view it’s a really important time to step back and remember where this all came from in a way that’s a little more unique and more lasting. If not for all the hard work, dedication, and effort of everyone involved, none of this would be possible. It’s awesome and I really appreciate it. Thank you very much, Lonnie and Terry.”

The crowd offered a round of applause for the Ledbetter family, and Lonnie Ledbetter responded with words of thanks. “This is so great, everything you’ve done for us,” he said, “but it’s really these people, every one of you, who have made this possible. It wasn’t just the Ledbetters, it’s been the people we’ve had around us. So thank you, every one of you.”

Terry Ledbetter added his sentiments as well: “Thank you for the appreciation you’ve shown us. This is so fun, to come back and see faces we worked with for years and years, for decades, and to see a face that reminds you of a client or an event or something we did over the years. We really do appreciate this honor. It’s great to be a part of the State National family still.”

About State National Companies

State National Companies, Inc. is a leading specialty provider of property and casualty insurance services operating in two niche markets across the U.S. In its Lender Services segment, the company specializes in providing portfolio protection solutions that insure autos, mortgages, and other collateral for loans made by credit unions, banks, and specialty finance companies. In its Program Services segment, the company leverages its ”A” (Excellent) A.M. Best rating, expansive licenses, and trusted reputation to provide access to the U.S. property and casualty insurance market in exchange for ceding fees. State National Companies is a division of Markel, a Fortune 500 holding company for insurance, reinsurance, and investment operations. To learn more, please visit statenational.com and connect on LinkedIn.