The Question and Answer feature helps readers learn more about prominent people in the business community. This issue’s Q&A profiles Orvin Olivier, an agent with American Family Insurance.
 Orvin Olivier is an insurance agent with American Family Insurance. (Inertia/for the SFBJ)
Name: Orvin Olivier
Title: Insurance agent with American Family Insurance
Hometown: Edgerton, Minn.
Age: 58
Background: Graduated from high school in Edgerton; received business administration and electronics degrees from Southwest University; worked at JCPenney in Sioux Falls in the management training program for a year and a half; worked in sales and marketing for hot air balloons at Raven Industries for seven years; has been with American Family for 27 years; continues to sells balloons for Aerostar International Inc.
Family: Wife, Sharon; one daughter, Tamara; one son, Ryan
Q: Tell me about your interests and hobbies.
A: “My long-term passion is hot air balloons. I’ve been active both on a national basis and internationally. I was just in Europe for a couple of events. I’ve flown in Japan, China, a number of places in Europe, Mexico and Canada. I play racquetball at the YMCA a couple of times a week. I do a little snow skiing, not as much as I’d like. My wife and I like to ride on the bike path. We also like to golf.”
Q: How did you get interested in ballooning?
A: “From the time I was a younger person, I always knew I was going to be a pilot. There was never a doubt in my mind. But I thought it was going to be an airplane pilot. I went over to Raven Industries and got involved with hot air balloons. I immediately got very involved with balloon flying. I took over most of their activities with customers, test flying, and have been going strong ever since. Even today I’m on the national board of the Balloon Federation of America. I’m the chair of several committees.”
Q: What’s your favorite part of your hobby?
A: “My favorite part is certainly the flying. Flying balloons is like nothing else you’ve done. It’s taken me many places. I love the travel we’ve been able to do. I really enjoy sharing the experience with other people; that’s really fun. I enjoy all the people and friends I’ve met all over the world. I have friends all over the world because of the sport. It’s been very good to us.”
 Orvin Olivier and others lift off in his global children balloon in Mexico. (submitted photo)
A: “Unfortunately to my wife’s dismay, I might own a couple. ... I have three.”
Q: How many times a year do you fly?
A: “I fly probably 30 times a year.”
Q: What’s the most exciting adventure you’ve had in a ballon?
A: “When you’ve done this as many years as I have, there are a lot. Probably one is being part of the opening ceremony of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. Another one is lifting off of a mountaintop in Mexico City for the president of Mexico.”
Q: How did you become interested in your field?
A: “I always wanted to get into business for myself. Insurance was something I thought I’d always be interested in. A wonderful opportunity presented itself when an older gentleman retired, and I was able to take over his agency. I’ve grown it a lot since then.”
Q: What do you enjoy most about work?
A: “I mean this in all honesty: I enjoy visiting with the people we have insured. I enjoy the people I have working for me and the people in American Family I work with.”
Q: What has made you successful as an insurance agent?
A: “First off, working for a very good company and having excellent people that work for me and with me.”
Q: What’s the outlook for the insurance industry in the area in the face of fears of a national recession?
A: “First off, our line of insurance is a product everybody needs. That automatically insulates us somewhat. At the same time, our industry is always in motion and changing with the times. We’ll always be here. Like the medical profession, you’ll always need it for the most part.”
Q: Do you have a charity or organization that’s especially close to your heart?
A: “One I’m very involved with is Hope Haven International Ministries. It’s based out of Sioux Falls and Rock Valley, Iowa. They collect and refurbish wheelchairs in Sioux Falls and surrounding towns. They have a huge program at the prison refurbishing and building new chairs. They’re distributed in countries to poor people. My son and I have been to Romania to help deliver chairs about a year and a half ago. They’ve delivered more than 60,000 to more than 100 countries. It’s a wonderful ministry, and it’s right in our backyard. I plan to do more trips with them.”
Q: What sparked your commitment to community service?
A: “It’s just something you do. I’ve been very fortunate in many ways, and I like people. It’s just the natural thing to do.”
Q: How do you find time to balance your job and your family?
A: “I have a wonderful wife and family, and we enjoy doing things together. We just make time to do it. Having a good staff of people working for me also helps a lot. If I’m not there, the office is very well taken of.”
Q: What kind of music is in your car or what do you listen to on the radio?
A: “I like some of the oldies from my era. I like jazz to some degree. As I’m getting older I’m starting to like more mellow music.”
Q: What do you think are the best and worst things about Sioux Falls?
A: “I feel very fortunate to have landed here in Sioux Falls. I’ve told people for many years I’m really a Minnesota tax refugee living in South Dakota. Sioux Falls is a great energetic, clean and progressive city with a lot to offer. I like the sports, the culture, our parks and trails. I like the business climate, and I like the people. I don’t think we have a worst and I mean that.”
Q: If you could have dinner with two or three people, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?
A: “I would say Billy Graham because he’s such an inspirational religious leader on a world scale. My pastor, Clyde Teel. He is just the most wonderful pastor and very with it on today’s basics. He’s very down to earth. A friend of mine named Ed Yost, who was the founder of the modern hot air balloon form and who died last year, and my mother, who died a couple of years ago – the people you never said enough words to.”
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