Business Moves

William Gammon, Higginbotham & Associates

Texas-based independent insurance agencies William Gammon Insurance and Higginbotham & Associates merged. The combined company has more than 500 professionals providing insurance, risk management and employee benefit solutions to clients throughout Texas.

William Gammon Insurance, headquartered in Austin, was founded in 1948 and serves businesses and individuals in the Central Texas area. Led by William Gammon III and Matt Berry Sr., the firm offers property and casualty insurance and employee benefit products and services from one location in downtown Austin. William Gammon Benefits Insurance is the firm’s in-house employee benefit services group. The firm is licensed in 33 states and the District of Columbia.

Also founded in 1948, Higginbotham is one of the largest independent insurance brokerage firms in the state. Based in Ft. Worth, it has 16 additional Texas offices. In recent years Higginbotham has expanded by partnering with other independent firms having strong footholds in their local markets.

William Gammon Insurance will continue operating under its name and maintain its current staff of 40 at 1615 Guadalupe. Higginbotham’s Austin office is located at 1221 S. Mopac Expressway and is led by Managing Director Curtis Page. The two offices will align resources to offer clients expanded services.

Avizent, FARA

Avizent, a national claims and risk management service provider based in Columbus, Ohio, acquired F.A. Richard and Associates (FARA), headquartered in Mandeville, La. This acquisition expands Avizent’s footprint and increases operational scale in the southeast and northeast, where both companies have extensive resources.

Founded in 1978, FARA provides risk management and claims administration products and services for insurance companies, self-insured corporations and government entities.

Foundation Financial Group

Foundation Financial Group is opening a new location at 1903 Central Drive in Bedford, Texas, between Ft. Worth and Dallas. The company specializes in mortgage lending, property and casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement services, personal taxes and corporate tax services.

The new center, which will solely serve customers in Texas, becomes the second Foundation Financial Group center to open in 2011. On Jan. 31, Foundation Financial Group also opened a regional center in Rochester, N.Y.

Foundation Financial Group was founded in Atlanta in 1998.

Topics Texas