By Ben Cox
Photos/Submitted to The Source
Worrell Land Services, a cornerstone of Central Illinois’ agricultural real estate and farm management world, celebrated its 30th anniversary this month.
The firm has grown from a single man working out of his home to a multi-specialty operation under second-generation leadership.
Allan Worrell’s journey started in agriculture as a farm manager at a bank in Springfield, later transferring to Jacksonville in 1980.
In 1995, he struck out on his own. With two children in school and little more than a vision (and a roll of stamps in the business account), Worrell launched his company from the spare bedroom of his home. His wife, Jan, provided steady support behind the scenes, helping the business take root long before they had an office.
By 2008, the business had grown enough to build a dedicated office on South Main Street in South Jacksonville.
In those early years, Allan Worrell operated with a partner, Randy Leka, and the Worrell-Leka Land Services operated in the South Jacksonville office.
In January 2015, Leka decided to split off into his own operation and a name change of the company was completed. The name change brought about other changes.
Eventually, the South Main offices were too small and the company moved to a larger building at 2240 West Morton Ave. in Jacksonville, which is their location today.
Under the Worrell Land Services banner, the company continues offering the full suite of services — farm management, rural and recreational real estate brokerage, appraisals, auctions and land investment consulting.
Over time, the company’s team expanded to include trusted professionals. Cindy Holloway joined in 2001 as a paralegal. “We pride ourselves on serving our clients … with honesty, integrity and hard work,” she says, reflecting the firm’s long-held values.
In 2007, Allan Worrell’s son, Luke Worrell, came aboard after a career in professional sports sales in Florida. Luke Worrell started doing odd jobs, rediscovered his passion for agriculture and committed to the business long-term. By 2018, he and his wife, Allison, bought the company from Allan Worrell, marking a new chapter in the family’s legacy.
Other key team members include award-winning auctioneer Darrell Moore, who joined in 2008, and Allison Worrell herself, who came on in 2014 with a background in corporate strategy and nonprofit work. Since the ownership transition, the firm has grown to 13 professionals, encompassing farm managers, appraisers, brokers and support staff.
In 2023, Worrell Land Services codified its principles in a “creed” — a clear statement of why they exist. Their core values are honesty, respect, hard work, knowledge, generosity and a relentless pursuit of integrity.
Photos by Steve & Tiffany of WarmowskiPhotography.com
According to their creed, they treat every client “as if each client was our only client,” and strive to “go above and beyond … because it’s the right thing to do.”
From its modest beginnings, the firm has achieved remarkable scale:
- serving clients in over 40 Illinois counties,
- managing almost 39,000 acres,
- conducting 200–250 appraisals annually and
- since 2020, facilitating over $260 million in land transactions.
The Worrell name has earned widespread respect in the agricultural community:
- Allan Worrell was honored with the Torch of Leadership Award from the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation.
- Luke Worrell serves in high-level roles in national land-industry organizations, including leadership positions within the Realtors Land Institute (RLI).
- More recently, Luke Worrell and Austin Hornstein were recognized by RLI’s APEX Producers Club for their 2024 transaction volume.
Despite three decades of growth and change — even a corporate rebranding — the Worrell Land Services team remains committed to its founding mission: to serve landowners with integrity, deep expertise and genuine care. On their 30th anniversary, they say their gratitude goes to the clients, families and communities who have trusted them through the years. “Our best days are yet to come,” Allan Worrell once said when announcing the company’s name change — and at 30 years in, that optimism still seems well founded.
