How Security National Life Grew From George Quist’s Spare Rental into a Coast-to-Coast Company
1965
A Startup in a Vacant Brick Bungalow
When our founder George Quist returned to Salt Lake City to launch his own life-insurance company, capital was tight and every dollar mattered. So he moved the fledgling team into one of three rental homes he already owned in the 900 East Area in Salt Lake City, “A brand-new company headquarters that just happened to be…vacant,” recalls George’s daughter Christie Overbaugh.
“We didn’t have to pay rent, so that’s where the first stock offering and all the early paperwork happened.”
Late 1960s
Two floors and a Basement Bookkeeping Office
As policies and staff multiplied, the little house overflowed with file boxes. The company moved into a modest two-story office next to where today’s Modern Display stands in downtown Salt Lake.
- Basement: Accounting and policyholder services
- Second floor: Sales files and the executive corner offices
“It was still small, but we finally had a walk-in reception area,” Christie says.
Early 1970s
A Former Dance Studio in Sugar House
Growth continued, so the team leased Don Carlos Dance Studio; A big, open hall on 700 East perfect for rows of desks and whirring typewriters. “It felt huge at the time,” Christie laughs, “yet we filled it faster than anyone expected.”
More Activity in 1970s
Partnering with Majestic Life on the East side of Salt Lake Valley
A management agreement with Majestic Life gave Security National the run of a stand-alone building near East 3900 South and 2000 East. “We thought we’d have room for years,” Christie remembers, “but the phone kept ringing and new hires kept arriving.”
Late 1970s to Early-1980s
Yes, The Headquarters was in a Cemetery!
Still needing more space, leadership moved everyone to the chapel building at Mountain View Cemetery. Filing cabinets lined one wing; executive suites occupied the other.
“We loved the setting! Until funeral services clashed with office hours,” Christie jokes. “A couple of times we literally paused work for viewings.”
About 25 employees worked there, quietly handling policy issuance, accounting, and customer calls while families held memorial services just down the hall.
1980s – 2010s
The “Sprint Building” and then the Farm Bureau Complex
A brand- new office (later nicknamed the Sprint Building) gave Security National its first modern floor plan; quickly filling the entire second floor, part of the first, and eventually the third.
Soon afterward, a larger opportunity appeared: the red brick Farm Bureau Building. Security National took two floors, then the entire building as Farm Bureau relocated. “We spent more than 15 years there,” Christie says, “long enough for the neighborhood to start calling it the Security National Block.”
2020s
Building out the Campus Today
The company bought adjacent parcels, the Pine Hill Business Park and Labcorp Buildings. This being was done with the intent on creating a permanent campus. Teams temporarily fanned out to Draper, 4500 South, and other rentals until the current headquarters pulled everyone back under one roof. For about two years during construction, employees were dispersed across these satellite offices. The completion of the current headquarters allowed Security National to reunite its workforce under one roof, a significant milestone that marked the realization of its campus vision. Today, the Security National headquarters stands as a unified and modern corporate hub, centrally located in Murray and reflective of the company’s long-term investment in growth, stability, and community presence.
Six Decades Later
What began in a vacant rental house now serves families and policyholders across the nation. Yet the entrepreneurial spirit of “making do with what we had” still shapes Security National Life’s culture.
Christie Overbaugh:
“Every move told the same story: we were growing because we were helping more families. Dad would be proud to see how far that first little house has carried us.”
As we celebrate our 60th Anniversary, we honor each address, each desk squeezed into a basement corner, and each employee who helped turn a local startup into a national legacy.
Do you have memories, photos, or newspaper clippings from these early years?
Share them with our anniversary team at SNLSocialMedia@SecurityNational.com. We would love to preserve more chapters of the journey George Quist started in 1965.
