Butler-Hartsell Insurance Agency, Inc., of Virginia Beach, and the Hyatt Agency of Richmond have become partner companies with USI, the nation's seventh largest diversified insurance and financial services distribution network. Butler-Hartsell will work closely with Henderson & Phillips, Inc., of Norfolk, USI's southeastern hub and the largest insurance broker in Virginia. The Hyatt Agency will partner with A.W. Hargrove-USI of Richmond.
Butler-Hartsell, headed by Lowell Hartsell, president, is a generalist property/casualty insurance broker, which serves a wide variety of personal and business clients, including auto dealers.
The Hyatt agency is a generalist property/casualty insurance broker with specialties in the property management and contracting industries.
"This is a unique opportunity to affiliate with a national broker network to take our clients to the next level in market impact, products and services while keeping our identity and directing our day-to-day operations," said Christopher A. Bruch, president of The Hyatt Agency.
Henderson & Phillips and Hargrove are two of Virginia's oldest professional insurance services firms, providing a wide variety of personal, business and specialty insurance programs. They joined USI in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
The San Francisco-based USI was formed in 1994 and has annual revenues of $236 million. In addition to Virginia, USI has operations in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.
Tennessee, Kentucky
Three agencies become SIAA Master Agencies
Satellite Insurance Agency Alliance (SIAA), a national organization of local agencies based in Keene, New Hampshire, has added three new Master Agencies in Tennessee and Kentucky. SIAA, which writes more than $600 million in premiums in 39 states, is made up of Master Agencies and independent Satellite Member agencies.
Legge Insurance Agency of Cookeville, Tennessee, has created Insurance Alliance of Tennessee, LLC, as a Master Agency to service the northern middle of Tennessee and eastern Tennessee. Established in 1946, Legge operates from its Cookeville headquarters with two branch offices in Crossville and Chattanooga. Dan Petersburg, vice president of sales at the Legge Agency, has appointed Tracey N. Duncan as the director of Insurance Alliance of Tennessee.
Markus Insurance Agency of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, has created Mid-South Insurance Alliance, a new Satellite Master Agency. The new Satellite Master Agency will help smaller agencies in western central Tennessee develop company access, increase earnings and compete with larger agencies, while remaining independent. Markus Insurance has offices in Lawrenceburg and Hohenwald.
Peel & Holland, Inc., of Benton, Kentucky, has formed Mid-America Agency Services, Inc. Peel & Holland contracted with SIAA for representation in two states: western Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee. Founded in 1924, Peel & Holland has a corporate office in Benton and three other branch locations in Mayfield, Murray and Paducah. Its president, R.C. Riley, served as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of America in 1991.
Florida
Construction specialist agencies merge
Keen Battle Mead & Company, the second largest all-lines insurance agency in Dade County, with over $50 million in annualized premium, has entered into a partnership with Matson Insurance & Bonding to form KBM Construction Insurance, an agency focusing on the specialized needs of the construction industry. The new agency will have locations in Miami Lakes, Coral Gables, Ocean Reef, Boca Raton, Vero Beach and Naples.
KBM Construction Insurance will offer a broad array of insurance products to the construction industry including general liability, workers compensation, automobile liability, builders risk, equipment floaters and employee benefits. Companies which KBM Construction Insurance will represent include American International Group, CAN, Crum & Forster, FCCI Mutual (Florida Construction Commerce and Industry), The Hartford, The Maryland (Zurich), the Travelers and St. Paul/USF&G.
Its employee benefits companies include Aetna/US health Care, AvMed, Blue Cross & Blue Shield/Health Options, Cigna, Humana, John Alden, Prudential, The Principal and United Health Care.
Keen Battle Mead & Company was founded in 1921 by George Keen, Sr., Ben Battle, Sr., and D.R. Mead, Sr., and handles commercial accounts of all sizes as well as personal lines, life and employee benefits.
The Matson Agency was founded by D.W. Matson, Jr., in 1959; and in 1985, D.W. "Duff" Matson, II, took over operation of the agency. It serves large established contractors, smaller and emerging contractors and multinational businesses, offering construction insurance, surety bonds and risk management programs. Duff Matson is also partner in the affiliate Matson-Charlton Surety Group which specializes in surety bonds.
KBM Construction Insurance is headquartered at 7850 N.W. 146 Street, Ste. 200, Miami Lakes, FL 33016, with additional locations in Ocean Reef, Coral Gables, Boca Raton, Vero Beach and Naples. *
©COPYRIGHT: The Rough Notes Magazine, 1998