New Wholesale Broker Out of Houston, Texas

Lawrence Mennes and Stephen Vallender in association with Burnett Holdings, Inc. have announced they will form a new insurance broker -IMS Insurance Market Solutions based in Houston, Texas. IMS will be a full service, commercial lines wholesale broker offering access to a broad range of insurance carriers, products and innovative insurance solutions. It is envisioned that IMS will grow into a dominant force in the national wholesale brokerage market offering outstanding service to its clients through a highly qualified and professional staff attracted by IMS’S culture and highly competitive compensation schemes. Immediately prior to this venture, Mr. Mennes and Mr. Vallender were both employed by U. S. Risk in Houston, Texas and they both have many years experience in the excess and surplus lines insurance market.

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If questions or contact required, contact John Burke, Burnett Holdings, (504) 588-9075, ext 14 or jburke@bcoinc.com

Additional Information:

Operations will be up and running in the next thirty to sixty days and Mr. Mennes and Mr. Vallender are currently working on finalizing company appointments, licensing, setting up required office space and systems. IMS will be an all lines commercial excess and surplus lines broker accepting business from a broad range of retail agents and brokers throughout the United States. They will entertain request for all types of property, casualty, and professional coverage on accounts ranging from large and medium sized commercial accounts to small accounts handled under program business arrangements. Long range plans contemplate expansion into other states as the circumstance and market conditions dictate.

Both Mr. Mennes and Mr. Vallender worked for the U. S. Risk office in Houston, Texas. Mr. Mennes was Executive Vice President and the head of the Houston office for U. S. Risk and Mr. Vallender was a Vice President in that office.

Previous to his association with U. S. Risk, Mr. Mennes began his career in the excess and surplus lines arena in the early 80’s with J. H. Blades followed by a number of years with various entities that ultimately traded under the name of American E&S. This was followed by his ownership and operation of Centry Surplus Lines prior to his association with U. S. Risk.

Mr. Vallender also began his insurance career in the early 80’s with C. T. Bowring in London. He subsequently held positions with Alexander Howden and Nichols Pointing while in London before moving to the United States and joining Atlantic Insurance Services. He was later involved with the formation of International Insurance Managers before joining U. S. Risk in 1998.

Topics Texas Agencies Excess Surplus