Florida’s Brown & Brown Acquires Oklahoma Agency

C. Roy Bridges, regional executive vice president of Florida-based Brown & Brown Inc. , and W. Brent LaGere, chairman and CEO of LaGere & Walkingstick Insurance Agency Inc., of Chandler, Okla., announced that LaGere & Walkingstick has been acquired by Brown & Brown. The transaction is effective December 1, 2002.

LaGere & Walkingstick, with annualized revenues of approximately $3 million, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chandler (U.S.A.) Inc. and is an affiliate of National American Insurance Company (NAICO). An established commercial property and casualty insurance agency, the firm specializes in servicing the trucking industry and nursing homes. The agency will now be a freestanding operation under the Brown & Brown name and will soon be relocated to the Oklahoma City area.

The existing staff will continue to serve its customers with Malinda Laird as manager. The office will be under the direction of William D. “Bill” Evans, executive vice president in charge of Brown & Brown’s Pryor, Oklahoma operation.

Roy Bridges, who is responsible for Brown & Brown’s West Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma operations, said, “We are quite pleased to have Malinda and this fine team of insurance professionals join our expanding Sun Belt presence. They add customer service depth to our operations within Oklahoma and bring us broadened expertise.”

Topics Florida Mergers & Acquisitions Oklahoma