Standard Insurance & Realty was incorporated in 1917 as an independent agency in Rocky Mount, North Carolina by a group of local businessmen to provide property management and insurance to themselves and their community. 

In 1935, Howard H. Strandberg, Sr. (grandfather of current President J. Buckley Strandberg) was employed as the manager. He employed M. W. Ivey as his associate. Strandberg and Ivey operated the business with Strandberg concentrating on insurance sales and service and real estate sales, and Ivey concentrating on real estate and property management. 

In 1952, Howard H. "Stran" Strandberg, Jr., returned from college and military service and entered the agency with his primary emphasis in the area of insurance.

Upon the death of Howard Sr. in 1964, ownership of the agency became vested equally between Stran and Ivey. In 1975, Stran purchased the interest of Ivey and became the sole stockholder. 

Stran became very proficient and knowledgeable in all lines of insurance. Through his efforts and leadership, both within the business and the community, the agency grew and was recognized as one of the three premier insurance agencies in Rocky Mount.

Stran was fortunate to handle insurance for some of the areas finest companies and public entities: Hardee's Food Systems, NC Wesleyan College, The City of Rocky Mount, Rocky Mount School System, Boice Willis Medical Clinic and Nash General Hospital.

As Standard Insurance & Realty continued to grow, it became obvious that we were well on our way to fulfilling the concept of a complete agency – with markets, personnel and experience to service the broad spectrum of insurance needs for the entire Rocky Mount area – it also became obvious that we had outgrown our existing office location. We began construction of a new office building on Franklin Street in March of 1979, and moved in to the new building in October of 1979.

At Stran's untimely death in July of 1979, responsibility for the agency was left to Stran's wife Betsy Strandberg and Howard H. Strandberg III, Stran's oldest son. Howard III began work in the agency upon graduation from college in 1977. Howard became president upon Stran's death. Stran's other son J. Buckley Strandberg, joined the agency upon graduation from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1982. Howard assumed the internal operations duties and Buckley focused on sales.