Marsh & McLennan Agency Acquires Michigan’s McGraw Wentworth

January 8, 2013Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), a subsidiary of Marsh Inc., has acquired McGraw Wentworth Inc., an employee group benefits consulting and brokerage firm based in Troy, Mich. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1997 by Thomas P. McGraw and William D. Wentworth, McGraw Wentworth has annual revenues of approximately $15 million. The firm offers a broad range of strategic benefit consulting services to midsize organizations including manufacturers, automotive suppliers, financial services, non-profits, public schools and local municipalities.

McGraw Wentworth will operate out of MMA’s upper Midwest hub, expanding MMA’s footprint into Michigan. All of the firm’s 72 employees including Thomas McGraw and William Wentworth will join MMA and continue operating out of their existing office.

Source: Marsh & McLennan Agency

 

Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: Midwest NewsTopics: Business Moves & Mergers, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, McGraw Wentworth Inc., Mergers and Acquisitions, Michigan, Thomas P. McGraw, Troy, William D. WentworthHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

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Best Agency to Work For: Southeast

October 4, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

This year six agencies in all received top honors as a Best Agency to Work For. The Best Agencies to Work For in 2012 include: Bryan Insurance Agency, Graham, Texas; Meyer & Cook Insurance, Walnut Grove, California; Walker Myers Insurance & Risk Management, Austin, Texas; Herbie Wiles Insurance, St. Augustine, Florida; Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, Madison, Wisconsin; American Insurance Services, Clark, New Jersey.

Insurance Journal wishes to thank the many customer service representatives, account executives, producers, managers and other agency staff who took the time to nominate their independent insurance agency in this year’s survey.

Good Reputation by Doing the Right ThingSt. Augustine, Florida
Herbie Wiles Insurance

Many independent agencies give back to their community, but Herbie Wiles Insurance (HWI) in St. Augustine, Fla., has taken that to a new level by donating its whole building to the community.

In 1966, agency founder and CEO Herbie Wiles bought a vacant, old house and renovated it for an office, turning an eyesore into a landmark. In 1980, the agency expanded by buying the house next door and joining it with the original office. By 2007, even that doubled space proved inadequate for the growing business, so Wiles built a new home for its business on its location. But it did not destroy the old place; it donated the historic structure to the city and paid to move it to another site, where it now is a museum.

The agency with its 28 employees serves St. Augustine and neighboring northern Florida communities including Jacksonville and Orlando. The agency writes about $28 million in premium per year

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Best Agency to Work For: East

October 4, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

This year six agencies in all received top honors as a Best Agency to Work For. The Best Agencies to Work For in 2012 include: Bryan Insurance Agency, Graham, Texas; Meyer & Cook Insurance, Walnut Grove, California; Walker Myers Insurance & Risk Management, Austin, Texas; Herbie Wiles Insurance, St. Augustine, Florida; Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, Madison, Wisconsin; American Insurance Services, Clark, New Jersey.

Insurance Journal wishes to thank the many customer service representatives, account executives, producers, managers and other agency staff who took the time to nominate their independent insurance agency in this year’s survey.

Strength of Family Helps Agency to FlourishClark, New Jersey
American Insurance Services

When you walk into the offices of American Insurance Services in Clark, N.J., you may be forgiven for mistaking it for an extended family reunion.

“The benefit of a family-like environment is offered here. I treat my employees like family, and we treat our customers the same way,” says Nick San Filippo, who started his property/casualty insurance agency 36 years ago.

The family-like atmosphere is a primary reason American Insurance Services was voted on by its employees as Insurance Journal‘s Best Agency to Work For in the East in 2012. The family-like atmosphere also is the reason the agency is flourishing. American Insurance now has 24 employees and more than $30 million in written premiums, and business continues to expand.

“Our President Nick San Filippo treats us all like members of his own family. This act is contagious, and we reciprocate that respect, care, and service to all our clients,” explained one staff member.

A common theme from the employees’ evaluations of their agency was how enjoyable they said it is to come to work.

“It is a pleasure to come to work,” an employee said. “I like working here, because I can be myself and can express my thoughts, and know that my ideas are listened to, regardless of my position in the company. I also enjoy the people that I work with and know that together we work well as a team.”

When asked about the agency’s enjoyable work atmosphere, Dawn Law, the agency’s vice president who is in charge of operations, says, “you have to make employees want to be here.” For example, the agency is parent-friendly, she notes, providing young parents with adjustable work schedules to accommodate their work and family obligations. “We are very family-oriented.”

The flexibility afforded to employees is a result of mutual respect, Law says. “The main thing you have to do is show your staff respect,” she says. “There is a human side to work

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Best Agency to Work For: Overall

October 4, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

This year six agencies in all received top honors as a Best Agency to Work For. The Best Agencies to Work For in 2012 include: Bryan Insurance Agency, Graham, Texas; Meyer & Cook Insurance, Walnut Grove, California; Walker Myers Insurance & Risk Management, Austin, Texas; Herbie Wiles Insurance, St. Augustine, Florida; Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, Madison, Wisconsin; American Insurance Services, Clark, New Jersey.

Insurance Journal wishes to thank the many customer service representatives, account executives, producers, managers and other agency staff who took the time to nominate their independent insurance agency in this year’s survey.

Small Town Values Creates Strong TiesGraham, Texas
Bryan Insurance Agency

Together everybody achieves more

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CAA Insurance Services Adds Benefiel as Agency Manager

November 8, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

Texas-based Combined Agents of America LLC (CAA) announced that Lauri Benefiel has joined as the new agency manager of its CAA Insurance Services (CAAIS) division.

CAA has 47 agency members in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Benefiel, who has a background as an operations manager for a large insurance agency, will report directly to CAA’s second vice president Bill Martin. Before joining CAA, she worked for Heffernan Insurance Brokers in northern California. Benefiel began her career at The Hartford in underwriting, sales, and finally management in their Select Customer Insurance Center.

In 2007, CAA opened the doors to CAAIS, a closed brokerage exclusively for member agencies of CAA. This brokerage was developed to provide a solution and a marketplace for many classes of business that cannot be placed with an agency’s current carriers. In 2011, CAAIS generated more than $5 million in annual premiums.

Source: Combined Agents of America LLC

 

Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: Texas / South Central NewsTopics: benefiel, caa, People, TexasHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

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Best Agency to Work For: South Central

October 4, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

This year six agencies in all received top honors as a Best Agency to Work For. The Best Agencies to Work For in 2012 include: Bryan Insurance Agency, Graham, Texas; Meyer & Cook Insurance, Walnut Grove, California; Walker Myers Insurance & Risk Management, Austin, Texas; Herbie Wiles Insurance, St. Augustine, Florida; Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, Madison, Wisconsin; American Insurance Services, Clark, New Jersey.

Insurance Journal wishes to thank the many customer service representatives, account executives, producers, managers and other agency staff who took the time to nominate their independent insurance agency in this year’s survey.

Right People, Right Fit Makes a Great PlaceAustin, Texas
Walker Myers Insurance

Starting a new business in a healthy economy is a challenge. Starting a new business

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N.J. Brokerage Bollinger Acquires The Morville Agency

October 4, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

Short Hills, N.J.-based insurance brokerage Bollinger Inc. has acquired The Morville Agency of Newton, N.J.

The Morville Agency specializes in insuring New Jersey public entities. The agency’s owner George Morville joins Bollinger as senior vice president in the commercial lines division.

Bollinger’s chief operating officer, Matthew Gardner, said the acquisition provides Bollinger with an opportunity to grow its public entity business. The Morville agency team will be actively involved in helping Bollinger expand this segment throughout the company’s entire footprint, he said.

Bollinger is headquartered in Short Hills, N.J., with branch offices in Greenwich, New York, Philadelphia, and additional N.J. locations in Holmdel, Moorestown, Newton, Sparta and Vineland. It has over 500 employees and is ranked as one of the country’s largest privately owned insurance brokerage.

Bollinger offers services in: personal insurance; commercial property/casualty insurance; life, health and financial services; employee benefits; sports programs; golf, country and city clubs; student insurance; broker products; and risk management services.

 

Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: East NewsTopics: bollinger, Business Moves & Mergers, The Morville AgencyHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

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Best Agency to Work For: Midwest

October 4, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

This year six agencies in all received top honors as a Best Agency to Work For. The Best Agencies to Work For in 2012 include: Bryan Insurance Agency, Graham, Texas; Meyer & Cook Insurance, Walnut Grove, California; Walker Myers Insurance & Risk Management, Austin, Texas; Herbie Wiles Insurance, St. Augustine, Florida; Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, Madison, Wisconsin; American Insurance Services, Clark, New Jersey.

Insurance Journal wishes to thank the many customer service representatives, account executives, producers, managers and other agency staff who took the time to nominate their independent insurance agency in this year’s survey.

Always Striving to be a Cut Above the RestMadison, Wisconsin
Hausmann-Johnson Insurance

“We always do what we say we’re going to do.”

That slogan serves as a guiding light for Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, the agency selected as Insurance Journal‘s Best Agency to Work for in the Midwest in 2012, and one of the many reasons why the firm’s associates endeavored to recognize it as such.

Steve Squires, president and CEO, says he’s pleased but not surprised that the agency’s associates

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Best Agency to Work For: West

October 4, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

This year six agencies in all received top honors as a Best Agency to Work For. The Best Agencies to Work For in 2012 include: Bryan Insurance Agency, Graham, Texas; Meyer & Cook Insurance, Walnut Grove, California; Walker Myers Insurance & Risk Management, Austin, Texas; Herbie Wiles Insurance, St. Augustine, Florida; Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, Madison, Wisconsin; American Insurance Services, Clark, New Jersey.

Insurance Journal wishes to thank the many customer service representatives, account executives, producers, managers and other agency staff who took the time to nominate their independent insurance agency in this year’s survey.

A Place Where All Work TogetherWalnut Grove, California
Meyer & Cook Insurance

A nice office view, lots of raises

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Stahlka Agency Acquires Historic Square Agency’s Western N.Y. Practice

June 7, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

Stahlka Agency, an independent insurance agency and member of the EMS Group, based in Williamsville, N.Y., acquired the Western New York practice of Erie, Penn.-based Historic Square Insurance Agency. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Stahlka Agency, an independent agency serving the Western New York market, will merge Historic Square’s office in Orchard Park, N.Y., into its existing Orchard Park location near Buffalo.

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Vertafore Unveils Agency Management System with Mobile Capabilties

June 26, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

Vertafore, an insurance industry software provider, has made available its insurance agency management system, AMS360 v6.5.

The new version provides agencies with new capabilities for every staff member, including:

Agents can create and edit customer information on the go with their tablet device.CSRs and account managers can use a new

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SIAA Adds 10 New Agency Members in Northeast

May 14, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

The Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance (SIAA), a national alliance of over 4,000 independent insurance agencies, said it added 10 new agency members in the Northeast region in April

The new members are: Sutton & Tarantino Insurance of Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Rogowski-Verrette Insurance of Worcester, Mass.; Millstone Community Insurance of Pittsburgh; Landis Insurance Services of Vineland, N.J.; DR & Associates Insurance Services of Danbury, Conn.; Insuramerica of Buffalo, N.Y.; Valentine Insurance of Catskill, N.Y.; Mike Marsh Insurance Agency of Bedford, N.H.; Divine Insurance of Providence, R.I.; and Angle Planning Concepts of Dover, Del.

Across the country, SIAA added 45 new members in April. Among them, 33 had been captive agents and are new to the independent agency system.

SIAA members created more than $780 million in new premium growth in 2011. Since it’s inception in 1995, SIAA has signed over 4,000 new members. SIAA is dedicated to the creation, retention and growth of the independent insurance agency distribution system.

 

Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: East NewsTopics: Business Moves & Mergers, Strategic Insurance Agency AllianceHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

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Special Agent Agency Management System Now Available Nationally

April 12, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticle1 Comments

Special Agent, the insurance agency management system, is now available in all 50 states, and the company has also launched a new website.

Special Agent had previously only been offered to independent insurance agencies in the Northeast, according to president Christopher Baker.

At the website, agents can search a list of carriers and find out what capabilities they provide through Special Agent, such as real-time inquiry, and upload and download for commercial or personal lines.

Users can get live support on the site, with live remote or live chat options. An online demo is also available.

Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: National NewsTopics: Agency Management, Markets/Coverages, online insurance exchangeHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

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