Business Moves – Midwest

Arthur J. Gallagher, Coyle Insurance Agency, Unison Inc., Aires Consulting Group

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. recently announced acquisitions of three Midwest-based firms — Coyle Insurance Agency Inc., Unison Inc. and Aires Consulting Group Inc.

Founded in 1984, Coyle Insurance Agency Inc., in Peoria, Ill., is a retail insurance broker providing property/casualty, employee benefits, personal lines and risk management insurance and consulting services to their clients throughout the central United States. The firm specializes in coverage for the construction, healthcare, educational, automotive and engineering industries.

Peter Coyle and his associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Thomas J. Gallagher, head of Gallagher’s Midwest retail property/casualty brokerage operations.

Unison Inc. is an employee benefits insurance broker based in Minnetonka, Minn.

Founded in 1980, Unison offers a full range of group employee benefits products and consulting services to their clients primarily in the North Central United States. The firm specializes in providing group health and welfare, business insurance, financial planning, executive, retirement and communication products and services.

The Unison team will continue to operate from their Minnetonka location under the direction of William Ziebell , North Central regional executive vice president of Gallagher’s employee benefit consulting and brokerage operations.

Aires Consulting Group Inc., headquartered in Batavia, Ill., was founded in 1985 and is a licensed professional architectural and engineering firm that provides environmental and engineering, health and safety, building sciences and design and construction consulting services to clients throughout North America.

The firm serves a diverse clientele including Fortune 100 companies, commercial and industrial entities, municipalities and state and federal agencies.

Geoff Bacci and his team will operate under the direction of Gordon Padera, executive vice president of Gallagher Bassett Services’ (GB) Risk Control Consulting Services Division.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, is headquartered in Itasca, Ill.

Hastings Mutual Insurance, National Farmers Union

Hastings Mutual Insurance Co., a regional property/casualty insurance carrier headquartered in Hastings, Mich., announced a new marketing partnership with National Farmers Union.

Through this new partnership, Hastings Mutual will serve as an endorsed insurance carrier of Farmers Union and will offer a premium discount on its farmowners insurance policies to Farmers Union members in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

In addition to offering insurance expertise and a farm policy discount, the partnership between Hastings Mutual and Farmers Union will support rural communities through farm safety training courses and materials, membership networking and educational events, community co-ops, and additional farm industry resources for mutual members of the partner organizations.

This partnership also seeks to increase growth for Farmers Union’s association memberships in the Midwest as well as continue to expand Hastings Mutual Insurance Co.’s presence in the region’s farm insurance market.

Hastings Mutual, founded in 1885, operates in the six Midwestern states of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Marsh & McLennan Agency, Howalt+McDowell Insurance

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), a subsidiary of insurance broker Marsh Inc., announced it has acquired Howalt+McDowell Insurance Inc., the largest independent agency in South Dakota.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1946, Howalt+McDowell has annual revenue of approximately $16 million and offers a wide range of property/casualty, surety, personal protection, and employee benefits insurance to individuals and midsize businesses in the upper Midwest.

All of the agency’s leadership and employees, including CEO Jeff Scherschligt, will join MMA’s upper Midwest hub and operate out of the firm’s existing Sioux Falls, South Dakota office.

Howalt+McDowell Insurance is the 23rd acquisition Marsh & McLennan Agency has completed since it began to build its national platform in November 2009.

MMA currently generates approximately $395 million in annualized revenue.

Topics Agencies Agribusiness A.J. Gallagher Property Casualty