Business Moves

National

Marsh McLennan Agency, The Horton Group

Marsh McLennan Agency said it has a definite agreement to buy Illinois-based brokerage The Horton Group Inc.

The deal is expected to close during the third quarter of 2024.

Orland Park, Illinois-based Horton Group’s CEO, Dan Horton, will join the subsidiary of Marsh, as will Horton employees upon closing of the acquisition. Horton’s nine existing offices will continue to operate.

Founded in 1971, Horton offers property/casualty insurance, employee benefits consultation, and personal lines coverage to businesses and individuals across Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Florida.

The Horton Group was ranked No. 50 in the Insurance Journal Top 100 Independent Property/Casualty Agencies report in 2023, with nearly $60 million in property/casualty revenue.

East

Relation Insurance Services, York Insurance Services

Insurance brokerage Relation Insurance Services acquired the assets of York Insurance Services Inc. in Forest Hill, Maryland.

York owner Butch Tilley will continue managing the office.

Relation is ranked by Insurance Journal within the top 25 largest agencies in the country by revenue. It has approximately 1,350 employees across more than 137 locations nationwide. Relation is a privately held corporation backed by Aquiline Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in New York and London.

Monroe Insurance Center, Smith Brothers Insurance

Monroe Insurance Center Inc., an independent insurance and risk management agency in Monroe, Connecticut, has merged its operations with Smith Brothers Insurance.

The leadership team at Monroe Insurance Center including John Rodrigues, Anna Rodrigues, Peter Lozier, Gary Freeman, Alan Helfer, and Paul Ackert will continue to serve clients and they will maintain their office in Monroe, while leveraging the resources of Smith Brothers, one of the nation’s largest insurance brokers.

Smith Brothers’ main office is in Glastonbury, Connecticut, and it has other offices across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

Smith Brothers has more than 250 employees.

Midwest

Marsh McLennan Agency, AmeriStar Agency

Marsh McLennan Agency, a subsidiary of Marsh, has acquired AmeriStar Agency Inc., a Wayzata, Minnesota-based independent agency.

Founded in 1987, AmeriStar provides a range of insurance coverage solutions to high net worth individuals and commercial clients.

All AmeriStar employees, including President Matt Schadow, will join Marsh McLennan Agency and continue to operate out of their existing Wayzata office.

South Central

Arthur J. Gallagher, Zayla Partners

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Katy, Texas-based Zayla Partners LLC (Zayla).

Zayla is an executive compensation strategy firm that serves clients across a variety of sizes and industries.

Chris Crawford, Ian Keas and their team will remain in their current locations in Texas and Colorado under the direction of Steve Coco, Global Human Resources & Compensation Consulting managing director for Gallagher’s employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations.

Southeast

Hub International, Skinner & Co.

Hub International, a global insurance brokerage headquartered in Chicago, has acquired Georgia-based Skinner & Co., a brokerage offering commercial coverage, performance bonds and risk management services.

Todd Skinner and team, in Marietta, Georgia, will now join Hub Gulf South and the firm will be referred to as Skinner & Co., a Hub International company.

Hub International, Wyatt Insurance Services

Hub International Ltd., the global insurance brokerage and financial services firm, acquired Wyatt Insurance Services in Tennessee.

With offices in Knoxville and Clarksville, Wyatt is an independent agency specializing in commercial and personal insurance, risk management and employee benefits, particularly for nonprofits and construction companies.

Ashley Wyatt, president, started the agency in Knoxville in 1995; Cliff Horne is partner and benefits advisor; and Andy Huddleston is a partner. They will join the Hub Mid-South team.

Arthur J. Gallagher, NetClaim

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the global insurance brokerage and consulting firm, said its claims and risk-management subsidiary, Gallagher Bassett, has acquired Georgia-based NetClaim from NAVEX.

NetClaim, in Norcross, Georgia, provides first-notice-of-loss and first reports of injury for clients, including carriers and third-party administrators across the United States. NAVEX, part of NAVEX Global, produces risk and compliance management software.

Arthur J. Gallagher is an insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.

PointeNorth Insurance Group, Valdosta Insurance Services, Southern Insurance Advisors

PointeNorth Insurance Group has acquired Valdosta Insurance Services and Southern Insurance Advisors, both based in Georgia.

Valdosta Insurance Services provides property/casualty insurance, employee benefits and life insurance products. Valdosta is headed by Julian “Trey” Sherwood III, president; and Byron Courson, vice president. Both Sherwood and Courson will continue to operate the agency under the Valdosta Insurance brand.

Southern Insurance Advisors, an independent agency in Milton, Georgia, also provides property/casualty coverage. Principal Kevin DiPetrillo will remain on board and the company will operate under the PointeNorth Insurance Group brand.

PointeNorth, headquartered in Atlanta, said it provides growth opportunities for agencies, as well as a perpetuation strategy and continued advancement opportunities for agency employees.

West

Arthur J. Gallagher, Cornerstone Commercial & Personal Insurance Services

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the global insurance brokerage and consulting firm headquartered in Meadows, Illinois, acquired Rancho Cucamonga, California-based Cornerstone Commercial & Personal Insurance Services Inc.

Phil Hakopian, Allison Hakopian and their team will remain in their current location under the direction of Scott Firestone, head of Gallagher’s Southwest region retail property/casualty brokerage operations.

Cornerstone Commercial & Personal Insurance Services is a retail insurance agency serving commercial and personal clients primarily in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The agency maintains a focus on commercial real estate, construction and homeowners associations.