Warren Barhorst
Encyclopedia
Warren Edward Barhorst is the founder and chief executive officer of the Barhorst Insurance Group, Ltd. (www.big-usa.com), based in Houston, Texas
. He is also a former member of the 12th Man Kickoff Team at Texas A&M University
, his alma mater.
, the son of Donald Charles Barhrost and Anna Marie (née Lipps) Barhorst. At the age of seven, he moved to Jersey Village, a northern suburb of Houston, Texas, where he presently lives with his wife and children. He married Lisa Rae (née Highsmith) Barhorst on March 14, 1987 and they have three children, Spencer Wayne Barhorst (born October 4, 1987), Ashley Nicole Barhorst (born June 10, 1990), and Shelby Loren Barhorst (born September 17, 1996). Barhorst attended Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas
, from August 1983 until December 1986 when he transferred to Texas A&M where he went on to earn a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Industrial Distribution in December 1988. During his time at A& M, Barhorst was a member of the storied 12th Man Kickoff Team. The team was created in the 1980s by the school’s football coach at the time, Jackie Sherrill
.
The squad was composed of non-athletic scholarship students who tried out for the team instead of players who were recruited. In addition to the 12th Man Kickoff Team’s popularity with the student body, Barhorst managed to carve out a name for himself, pulling a stunt that cemented his name in Aggie
lore. In 1985, members of the 12th Man Kickoff Team began carrying and waving towels to stir up support with A&M students in the stands, a move quickly copied by Aggie students. In the 1988 Cotton Bowl game against Notre Dame, Barhorst tackled Tim Brown, Heisman Trophy
winner and, at the time, future NFL star. Following the play, Barhorst grabbed Brown’s towel and began waving it over his head in excitement. This display enraged Brown, who then tackled Barhorst and earned himself a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Barhorst would later in the game tackle Brown again and repeat the towel-waving incident; Brown again tackled Barhorst and earned a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, plus this time was also ejected from the game.
The tradition of students waving white towels stands to this day.
Barhorst will be rebranding his company in 2012, going by the name "Iscential".
Additionally, Barhorst was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for the Houston Gulf Coast Area for Business Services in 2008. The company has also received several awards from Nationwide. In addition to being the No. 1 Nationwide agency in the country, BIG has earned the Presidents Conference Award 11 times since 1998. It was named the Nationwide Flood Insurance Agency of the Year in 2005 and in 2006, and received the National Flood Insurance Special Recognition Award for Flood Education and Marketing in 2008 http://bsa.nfipstat.com/2008nfc_daytwo.pdf.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. He is also a former member of the 12th Man Kickoff Team at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, his alma mater.
Personal life and education
Barhorst was born in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, the son of Donald Charles Barhrost and Anna Marie (née Lipps) Barhorst. At the age of seven, he moved to Jersey Village, a northern suburb of Houston, Texas, where he presently lives with his wife and children. He married Lisa Rae (née Highsmith) Barhorst on March 14, 1987 and they have three children, Spencer Wayne Barhorst (born October 4, 1987), Ashley Nicole Barhorst (born June 10, 1990), and Shelby Loren Barhorst (born September 17, 1996). Barhorst attended Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
, from August 1983 until December 1986 when he transferred to Texas A&M where he went on to earn a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Industrial Distribution in December 1988. During his time at A& M, Barhorst was a member of the storied 12th Man Kickoff Team. The team was created in the 1980s by the school’s football coach at the time, Jackie Sherrill
Jackie Sherrill
Jackie Sherrill is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Washington State University , the University of Pittsburgh , Texas A&M University , and Mississippi State University , compiling a career college football record of 180–120–4...
.
The squad was composed of non-athletic scholarship students who tried out for the team instead of players who were recruited. In addition to the 12th Man Kickoff Team’s popularity with the student body, Barhorst managed to carve out a name for himself, pulling a stunt that cemented his name in Aggie
Aggie
-People:Aggie may be a diminutive form of the given names Agne, Agnatha, Agamemnon, Agata/Agatha, Agnija, or Agnes. It may also be a diminutive form of a family name that begins with 'Ag-'.People who are known as 'Aggie' include:* Christopher J.C...
lore. In 1985, members of the 12th Man Kickoff Team began carrying and waving towels to stir up support with A&M students in the stands, a move quickly copied by Aggie students. In the 1988 Cotton Bowl game against Notre Dame, Barhorst tackled Tim Brown, Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner and, at the time, future NFL star. Following the play, Barhorst grabbed Brown’s towel and began waving it over his head in excitement. This display enraged Brown, who then tackled Barhorst and earned himself a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Barhorst would later in the game tackle Brown again and repeat the towel-waving incident; Brown again tackled Barhorst and earned a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, plus this time was also ejected from the game.
The tradition of students waving white towels stands to this day.
Career
Upon completing college, Barhorst went to work for Mannesmann Demag from January 1989 until August 1993. After growing frustrated with the corporate world, he quit his job and began selling Nationwide insurance. Soon after making his career change, Barhorst started his insurance company, the Barhorst Insurance Group or BIG, in September 1993. The first office opened in November 1993 in Jersey Village. Since its inception, BIG has grown from one office to 30 across Texas with 100 associates and approximately $50 million in sales in 2008. Barhorst has plans to continue his company’s expansion with his BIG Billion plan, which sets a goal of 500 offices and $1 billion in sales by 2020. He is already making strides to reach that goal, securing funding to open 12 new locations in 2009. Barhorst is also a published author. In late 2008 he released “Game Plan...The Definitive Playbook for Starting or Growing Your Business” http://gameplanbook.com/index.php. Forbes business magazine editor-in-chief Steve Forbes, who reviewed the book, had nothing but praise for the work. He said the book had “energy, stick-to-it-iveness, focus and a sense of strategy and attention to tactics.”Barhorst will be rebranding his company in 2012, going by the name "Iscential".
Award and recognitions
Since its 1993 inception, the Barhorst Insurance Group (BIG) has earned many accolades. BIG was named to the Aggie 100 list in 2005, 2006 and 2008; ranked No. 3,359 as part of the 2008 Inc. Magazine 5000, a list of the country’s fastest growing companies; and was named the 52nd fastest growing company in Houston by the Houston Business Journal http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/ in 2008, as well. In 2009 BIG climbed to 29th on the fastest growing company in Houston rankings by the Houston Business Journal. BIG also moved up to be ranked No. 2,237 on Inc. Magazine's list of the country's fastest growing companies (BIG has been included on the list from 2008-2011). A tribute to its commitment to employee satisfaction, BIG was listed as one of the Best Places to Work in Houston in 2004, 2005, and 2007-2011.Additionally, Barhorst was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for the Houston Gulf Coast Area for Business Services in 2008. The company has also received several awards from Nationwide. In addition to being the No. 1 Nationwide agency in the country, BIG has earned the Presidents Conference Award 11 times since 1998. It was named the Nationwide Flood Insurance Agency of the Year in 2005 and in 2006, and received the National Flood Insurance Special Recognition Award for Flood Education and Marketing in 2008 http://bsa.nfipstat.com/2008nfc_daytwo.pdf.