Joe Race has spent more than two decades doing what he’s always done best, solving problems for people before they know they have one. He founded The Allen Thomas Group in 2003, building it from the ground up into an independent insurance agency licensed across 20+ states and recognized for its client-first approach to risk management.

Joe’s path to insurance wasn’t a straight line — it was a logical one. After graduating from The University of Akron with a degree in Marketing, he began his career in the 1990s as an investment advisor. Working closely with clients to grow and protect their financial futures, he kept running into the same gap: the products they needed to safeguard those investments simply weren’t available through the captive market. So he built an agency designed to fix that — one that would put the client’s actual needs ahead of any single carrier’s product lineup.

That founding philosophy still drives everything at ATG today. Under Joe’s leadership, the agency has grown into a multi-brand platform spanning niche commercial markets including manufacturing, car washes, craft breweries, trade contractors, and high-value homes, among others. His areas of expertise include strategic planning, business development, employee benefits, and sales — all in service of one consistent goal: making sure clients are genuinely protected, not just technically covered.

Outside of the office, Joe is a self-described wine enthusiast and outdoorsman, equally at home exploring a new bottle as he is exploring the outdoors. It’s a fitting combination for someone who has always believed the best relationships, in business and in life, are built over time and with care.