Business Moves – Midwest

Willis North America

Willis North America, a unit of global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, has relocated its Cleveland, Ohio office to 1001 Lakeside Ave., Suite 1600.

Willis established a presence in Ohio more than 30 years ago. Willis of Ohio Inc. serves more than 3,000 national and local clients from its offices in Cleveland and Columbus, supported by more than 130 associates. In its new Cleveland location, Willis brings together more than 30 associates onto a single floor.

Patriot National Insurance Group, Guarantee Insurance Co.

Guarantee Insurance Co., a subsidiary of Patriot National Insurance Group, plans to begin writing workers’ compensation insurance in Michigan.

The addition of Michigan increases Guarantee’s presence in the Midwestern states and further supports the company’s nationwide expansion plan.

Since its acquisition by Patriot in 2003, Guarantee has developed expertise in the utilization of segregated portfolio captives, agency captives and other risk-sharing workers’ compensation insurance programs.

Guarantee provides workers’ compensation insurance in 32 states and the District of Columbia.

John Travis, Midwest regional vice president of Patriot National Insurance Group, said the company is looking for a few select independent insurance agency partners in Michigan.

Arthur J. Gallagher, Ahrold Fay Rosenberg, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance Agency, The Eriksen Group, Gardner & White, Hardman & Howell Benefits, Heiser Insurance Agency, Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired a number of assets in the Midwest.

Ahrold Fay Rosenberg in Des Moines, Iowa, is a retail insurance broker providing property/casualty, employee benefits and risk management insurance services, as well as human resources and loss control services for commercial clients throughout the Midwest. The firm specializes in the non-farm agricultural and construction industries.

John Ahrold, John Fay, Brook Rosenberg and their team will continue to operate in their current Des Moines location under the direction of Thomas J. Gallagher, head of Gallagher’s Midwest retail property/casualty brokerage operations.

Charter Lakes Marine Insurance Agency, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., was founded in 1986 and operates as a retail property/casualty insurance broker, program administrator and managing general agency specializing exclusively in commercial and personal marine insurance products and services. Charter Lakes is one of the largest insurers of yachts, boats and passenger vessels in the United States, serving clients from offices in Michigan, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina and Texas.

Dan Longman and his associates will continue to operate from their current locations under the direction of Thomas J. Gallagher.

The Eriksen Group Inc., in Birmingham, Mich., is a retirement consulting firm that provides ongoing and project-based retirement consulting services to clients throughout the Central United States. Consulting services include plan design, fiduciary governance, plan benchmarking, investment policy statement development, fee benchmarking, provider selection and management and investment monitoring. The firm’s clients include corporate and public defined contribution 401(k) plans and pension plans as well as endowments and foundations.

Richard K. Eriksen and his associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of William Ziebell, north central regional executive vice president of Gallagher’s employee benefit consulting and insurance brokerage operations.

Gardner & White Corp. (Gardner & White), headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., and founded in 1965, provides employee benefit program consulting services and insurance brokerage services exclusively for healthcare organization clients throughout the United States. The firm specializes in retirement and group benefits strategic planning, plan design, risk assessment, employee communications and compliance.

Shawn Bogenrief, James Mandel and their associates will continue to operate from their current locations in Indianapolis; Dublin, Ohio; and St. Paul, Minn., under the direction of William Ziebell.

Hardman & Howell Benefits in Wichita, Kan., provides a range of employee benefit program consulting services for employer clients throughout the central United States. The firm specializes in health and welfare strategic planning and design, voluntary benefits, wellness, benefits administration and human resource consulting.

Gary Hardman, Mike Howell and their associates will continue to operate in their current location under the direction of John Neumaier, south central regional executive vice president of Gallagher’s employee benefit consulting and brokerage operations.

Heiser Insurance Agency Inc. of Morton, Ill., is a retail broker providing retail property/casualty, employee benefits and risk management insurance services for commercial clients throughout the Midwest. The firm specializes in the transportation and manufacturing industries.

Sam Parrott and his team will continue to operate in their current location under the direction of Thomas J. Gallagher.

Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri Inc. in St. Louis is a retail insurance broker providing commercial property/casualty and risk management insurance services for clients throughout the United States. The firm, which was founded in 1996, specializes in insurance coverage for the moving and storage industry including owner/operator segments.

Patrick E. McAleenan, Novis D. Adkins and their associates will continue to operate in St. Louis under the direction of Mike Henthorn, head of Gallagher’s South Central retail property/casualty brokerage operation.

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA)

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), a subsidiary of insurance broker Marsh Inc., announced two acquisitions in the Midwest.

Liscomb Hood Mason Co., a $2.2 million revenue agency based in Duluth, Minn., has roots dating back to 1927. Liscomb Hood Mason offers a wide range of property/casualty and employee benefit products and services to businesses and individuals in Minnesota.

All of the firm’s leadership and employees, including its president Larry Sumbs, will join MMA and operate within MMA’s upper Midwest hub.

Marsh’s announcement noted that Marsh & McLennan Cos. co-founder Donald R. McLennan was a Duluth native who in 1984 began his insurance career at Stryker, Manley & Buck, later renamed McLennan-Manley Agency.

Jon Welles, a principal shareholder in Liscomb Hood Mason and current chief financial officer, is the great nephew of Donald McLennan.

McGraw Wentworth Inc. is an employee group benefits consulting and brokerage firm based in Troy, Mich. 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.

MarketScout, Monster Insurance, OneBeacon Insurance

MarketScout, the national electronic insurance exchange and specialty MGA headquartered in Dallas, announced that MarketScout subsidiary, Monster Insurance, has entered into an agreement with OneBeacon Insurance Co. over renewal rights to OneBeacon’s energy book of business.

Monster will offer general liability, auto and workers’ compensation to entities insured by OneBeacon’s casualty energy offering, according to Richard Kerr, CEO of MarketScout.

Monster Insurance is a Bermuda-based insurance facility accepting risk on primary casualty business.

ISU Network, RHD Insurance

San Francisco-based ISU Network has added ISU RHD Insurance, an independent insurance agency in Lincoln, Neb.

Michael J. Hall and his partners, Glen Riensche, Amy Alexander and Larry Hall at ISU RHD Insurance are insurance veterans with more than 42 years in the industry.

Digital Insurance, Health Star Consulting

Digital Insurance has acquired Health Star Consulting of Clayton, Mo.

The benefits firm merged with the St. Louis office of Digital Benefit Advisors (DBA), a division of Digital Insurance.

Health Star Consulting Principal Devin Bernstein joined the DBA team to provide his clients enhanced services and greater resources.

Hub International Limited, Maritime Insurance Group Inc.

Hub International Limited (Hub) has acquired Maritime Insurance Group Inc. (Maritime) an insurance agency with its principal office located in Sheboygan, Wis. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Maritime will become part of Hub International Midwest (Hub Midwest). Mike Mrdjenovich, president of Maritime, will join the organization, reporting to Neil Hughes, president and CEO, Hub Midwest.

Maritime is a full service retail brokerage offering commercial lines, personal lines, employee benefits programs, and financial services (through its division Maritime Financial Group) serving a broad array of customers throughout East-Central Wisconsin. Their commercial clients span across many industries including manufacturing, contracting, educational facilities, municipalities and the service industry.

Maritime operates out of three locations in Wisconsin – Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Plymouth – and represents the expansion of Hub’s footprint into this state.

USI Insurance Services, Pediatrics Insurance Consultants

USI Insurance Services LLC has acquired Pediatrics Insurance Consultants (PIC), based in Chicago, Ill.

PIC is the insurance member benefits broker, marketer and administrator for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). PIC will become a part of USI Affinity, a division of USI Insurance Services, its affinity business unit. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Holly I. Myers, JD, owner and principal of PIC, is retiring, according to the announcement.

Topics USA Agencies Workers' Compensation Ohio Michigan Property A.J. Gallagher Property Casualty Risk Management Casualty