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GODFREY - Blake Sonka with Blake Sonka State Farm in Godfrey recently discussed his office’s new location on Godfrey Road and more as part of a North Alton-Godfrey Business Council Spotlight.
Sonka said a new building was recently built for his State Farm office located at 3052 Godfrey Road, Unit A, directly across the street from their former location. The building, featuring white siding and a red roof, stands just south of The Plant Stand. He added that work in the parking lot is being finalized as the business officially moves into its new home.
Sonka has been with State Farm since 2016, working with a different agent in Edwardsville before becoming an agent himself and opening his Godfrey office in 2019. But he said some of his team have been with the company for over 25 years and have been there for several of their customer’s major life milestones.
“I have two amazing team members, Glenda and Sherry, that were there for 25 and 28 years, and just hearing the stories they have of ‘I insured that kid when they were 16 and now they have three kids,’ and kind of going through life with them and being there through the first car purchase, the first house purchase, the first baby, it’s really cool,” he said.
Sonka said becoming a State Farm agent wasn’t his exact plan after graduating college, but after a tiring job hunt and series of rejections based on a lack of “experience,” a friend from his hometown called him with a job offer to work at his State Farm office in Edwardsville. After working there for about a year and a half, Sonka wanted to become an agent “long term,” eventually realizing his goal after going through the Agent Aspirant Program.
Originally from Bloomington, Sonka moved to the Riverbend in 2012 to attend SIUE. He said the North Alton-Godfrey Business Council has helped him as someone from outside the area to meet local business owners.
“You get to meet all the bankers, the realtors, all the other small businesses, and it’s a very informal setting,” Sonka said. “For me it was awesome, because I’m not originally from the area, to get to meet everybody.”
To learn more about the North Alton-Godfrey Business Council, visit their website at nagbc.com. For more information on Blake Sonka State Farm in Godfrey, watch the full interview with Sonka at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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