Safeco Insurance has given two awards to Pace Kerby Insurance.

The business, owned by Darryl and Patty Kerby, has received the H.K. Dent Society Agency Award, which is given to less than 10 percent of Safeco’s agents. Safeco has about 10,000 agents.

Agent Darron Branson also has been recognized as a “best of the best” agents by receiving the Safeco Personal Lines Achievement Award. He is one of two agents, territory wide, who has received this award in back-to-back years.

Hawthorne K. Dent founded Safeco in 1953 to compete more effectively with growing direct insurance writers — making a commitment to independent agents.

He wanted to efficiently and aggressively write only the best preferred risks.

“Insurance produces nothing,” he said. “It replaces. We have nothing to sell except goodwill and confidence.”