Kaila Vorpahl said she loves to watch people’s faces when they come into her office for the first time.
“I have to give them a minute to comprehend, to take it all in,” she said.
It’s not simply that Vorpahl’s Vintage Insurance Agency is located in a big red barn in downtown Lena. That’s just the outside view.
Once inside, visitors are overwhelmed by the decor: floor to ceiling antiques. The tongue-and-groove wood on the walls provides a rich backdrop for washboards and handsaws, toys and lanterns.
“I love collecting antiques, as you can see. It’s one of my favorite things to do,” said Vorpahl, who opened Vintage Insurance at 150 S. Rosera St. in September.
She developed an interest in antiques by digging through boxes of goods her grandparents purchased at auctions.
Some of the antiques on display at Vintage Insurance are valuable, while others are more sentimental, Vorpahl said.
A wagon wheel originally belonging to her great-grandfather has been fitted with light bulbs covered with mason jars. It hangs as a chandelier above Vorpahl’s desk. Some of the antiques are her mother’s, and many have been in the family for several generations.
“There’s a bunch of things that we played with at my grandmother’s house,” Vorpahl said.
Vorpahl said her clients like to venture around the room to look at the antiques during the down time of their appointments, and Vorpahl is happy to share her hobby. The building previously had been used for pellet stove sales and became vacant when the owners retired. Before she toured the building she was skeptical, but was quickly convinced after her first visit.
“It went with my vintage theme,” she said.
Vorpahl, the daughter of Janice and Scott Cook, grew up on a dairy farm outside Lena and wanted to return to her hometown to launch her business and get involved in the community.
The 2003 Lena High School graduate has worked in insurance in both Marinette and Oconto counties. She became interested in the profession after answering an employment ad in 2008. She started the job, earned the necessary license and hasn’t looked back.
“I’ve loved it since Day 1,” she said. “I’ve just always wanted to own my own business and come back to my hometown.”
Vintage Insurance Agency offers coverage in auto, home, business, life and health insurance. When Vorpahl meets with clients, she recommends what will work best for their situation, then explains the coverage thoroughly.
“My goal is to make sure the client understands what the coverage is that I’m giving them,” she said.
She and her husband, Eric, have one daughter, who Vorpahl hopes will eventually take over the business. But that’s years away.
For now, Vorpahl plans to renovate the open space in the back of the building, then lease office space. She already leases a back room to Stay at HomeCare, an agency that provides in-home services to the frail elderly, developmentally disabled and physically disabled.
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