Naccarato insurance celebrates 50th anniversary

A strong core

In the beginning, explained Pat Naccarato, since they ran the business from their house, “there was always someone there to answer the phone. If we weren’t there, we had an answering service. Any time anyone wanted to get ahold of us, they could get ahold of us. There was no having to wait.” Pat attributes their business’s success with their availability, along with honesty and kindness. “If people have a fire or an accident, they want to talk to someone immediately,” she said.

Over time, the Naccaratos have done what they can to make the process of purchasing insurance less painful. “It’s like going to the dentist or the doctor,” according to Pat. “Buying insurance isn’t fun. It’s not something people enjoy. We try to make it as pleasant as possible.”

No business can succeed if the leadership doesn’t hire good people and keep them happy, and the Naccaratos have done that. “Right now this is the best staff I’ve ever had,” said Jack. “I have one employee that’s almost 25 years [with the company]. We’ve got others that are approaching 20 years.” Jack calls his staff “good, intelligent people” who are more like family than employees. “They’re very close to me, and their problems are my problems.” According to Jack, when people walk into Naccarato Insurance’s refurbished 19th-century office building on Ulster Ave., “they feel an energy in this place. Everybody is nice. [The staff] help make it what it is.”

Rooted in the community

The Naccaratos are Saugertiesians through and through. John was born and bred here. Pat originally hails from Long Island, New Jersey and Palenville, but she’s spent most of her life right here in town. For them, Saugerties isn’t just the place where their offices are located; it’s home, which is why the Naccaratos have been so heavily involved with community matters for decades. Organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and the Saugerties Historical Society have benefited greatly from Jack and Pat’s involvement. Additionally, Pat has been a member of the Village Planning Board, the League of Women Voters, and the organization that helped keep a nuclear power plant out of Greene County, just a few miles from Saugerties, back in 1974. Both Jack and Pat were on the New York State Drug Council, as well.

Their commitment to Saugerties comes from a place of great love and respect for the town and its residents, and the fact that they unify when faced with crises. “People in Saugerties are very generous and they come together when there’s a problem,” she said. Pat used the strong and organized townwide opposition to a proposed landfill back in the 1990s as an example of the town’s willingness to work together to resolve an issue. “That’s what so nice about Saugerties,” Pat said. “That’s why people from the outside want to come here.” While others may balk at the recent influx of non-native Saugertiesians, the Naccaratos see them as a boon to the local economy. “Look at our Main St. now,” said Pat. “It’s booming.”

The Naccaratos see nothing but good things in the future for both their insurance business and Saugerties in general. “We’re coming out of a tough time with the economy, and we managed to grow each year through that tough time,” said Jack. “We just think that it’s even going to get better, and we think Saugerties will also. There are lots of positive things going on in Saugerties,” he said, citing new businesses like Diamond Mills and the Lazy Swan Golf and Country Club.

Even after a long, full, and successful 50 years, the Naccaratos have no plans to pack it in any time soon. “[Naccarato Insurance] will be here as long as we’re around, and my son, and hopefully, one of the grandchildren will carry it on, but we don’t know,” Pat said. “Hopefully, we’ll be around for a long time, always be there for people, and continue to run it the way it is now.

“My husband loves what he does; that’s why he’s still there,” she added.