View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2013/02/07/280507.htm

Minnesota’s Johnson McCann, C.O. Brown, Apollo Insurance Agency Merge

Three Minnesota insurance agencies – Johnson McCann of St. Paul, C.O. Brown of Rochester and the Apollo Insurance Agency of St. Cloud – have joined forces to become the second largest private insurance brokerage in Minnesota.

Among them, they have a dozen offices, reaching from north of St. Cloud to south of Rochester. All of the agencies offer commercial property and casualty, homeowners and auto insurance, group employee benefits and individual life and health insurance.

Pat McCann serves as president of the recently combined group.

According to the announcement, as a result of the merger the new group also will be able to offer:

• A full-service property and liability division connected with over 50 insurance companies nationwide.
• Expanded prevention of risk: A health and wellness division will be created, and a risk and safety consultant will be added.
• More clout in the insurance marketplace, due to the significant increase in size, which will result in lower costs for clients.

Pat McCann and his wife, Gayle, are principals of Johnson McCann, which specializes in providing insurance options to medical groups, nonprofit organizations, corporations, banks and municipalities. The company employs 22 benefits advisors, consultants, and support staff.

C.O. Brown is headed by Mark Hayford, president. C.O. Brown Agency was founded in 1917 and is the largest independent insurance agency in southeastern Minnesota. It employs more than 85 insurance professionals. The firm has offices in Rochester, Austin, Kasson, Lake City, Mankato and Red Wing.

Hayford also is affiliated with the third agency in the merger, the Apollo Insurance Agency.

The Apollo Insurance Agency, which has offices in St. Cloud, Albany, Melrose, Alexandria and Monticello, is headed by partners John Delinsky, Steve Thelen and DeEtte Wurm. Apollo serves more than 5,000 businesses and individuals in Minnesota and surrounding states. It has more than 40 employees.