Business Moves

December 15, 2014

EPIC, Greyling

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property/casualty insurance brokerage, has acquired Greyling Insurance Brokerage & Risk Consulting Inc., a specialty insurance broker and risk management consultant based in Atlanta, with locations in St. Louis, Mo., and Tampa, Fla.

Founded in 2005 by David Collings and Gregg Bundschuh, Greyling serves four industry sectors across the country: architects and engineers, contractors, environmental firms and law firms.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The firm will operate as Greyling Insurance Brokerage – a division of EPIC.

Headquartered in San Francisco, EPIC partnered with The Carlyle Group in December 2013. Since then, EPIC has completed six acquisitions/purchases, adding nearly 300 employees in 12 new locations across the United States.

FBinsure, Gramlich Insurance Agency

FBinsure, an independent insurance agency based in Taunton, Mass., announced its acquisition of Gramlich Insurance Agency, an independent agency in New Bedford, Mass. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Ray Gramlich, president of Gramlich Insurance Agency, will be staying on with FBinsure to run New Bedford operations, manage the transition of Gramlich Insurance Agency to the FBinsure brand, and continue to work with his 1,400 clients.

With the addition of Gramlich Insurance Agency, FBinsure has seven locations throughout Massachusetts’ Bristol and Plymouth counties including offices in Taunton, Attleboro, Middleboro, Dighton, Rehoboth, East Freetown, and New Bedford.

FBinsure is an independent insurance agency, partnered with Bristol County Savings Bank, that provides personal and commercial insurance services. FBinsure has 80 employees and a client base of more than 20,000 personal and commercial clients.

USI, Holmes Murphy

USI Insurance Services has acquired the Saint Louis, Mo., operation of Holmes Murphy.

The business and its employees will join USI’s Saint Louis office. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquired business was established in 1995 and was followed in 1996 with the acquisition of Corporate Benefit Strategies, a locally owned insurance broker. The practice provides employer insurance benefits and property/casualty programs for personal and commercial customers.

This acquisition strengthens USI’s presence as a leading middle-market insurance brokerage and consulting firm in the Midwest region, and complements USI’s range of commercial property/casualty, employee benefits, personal risk services and retirement consulting offerings, the firm stated.

In total, USI Insurance Services has more than 140 offices throughout the United States.

York Risk Services, RMPG

York Risk Services Group Inc., a Parsippany, N.J.-based provider of claims management, managed care, risk management and specialized loss adjusting services, has acquired Risk Management Planning Group (RMPG) in Mineola, N.Y. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

RMPG provides claims and risk management services for workers’ compensation and also offers a disability benefits insurance program.

York Risk Services Group said RMPG’s focus on construction, healthcare, real estate and hospitality – along with its strong presence in the New York marketplace – would support York’s effort in providing customized services to specialty markets.

York Risk Services Group is a provider of risk management, claims handling, specialized loss adjusting, managed care, pool administration, loss control and other insurance services. York provides risk management and managed care services to a variety of strategic partners, including insurance carriers, self insureds, brokers, wholesalers, MGAs, programs, risk pools and public entities.

North Risk Partners, Thune Insurance Network

St. Paul, Minn.-based independent insurance brokerage, North Risk Partners, has merged with Thune Insurance Network, located in Northwest Minnesota with offices in Thief River Falls, Roseau and Baudette.

The merger has resulted in North Risk Partners’ growth to more than 150 employees and approximately $400 million in annual written premiums.

Headquartered in Thief River Falls, Thune Insurance Network is a 40-year-old, independent agency employing 25 insurance professionals. The agency offers an array of personal and business risk management products, including commercial, home, auto, farm, health, life, disability, dental, vision, long term care, and more.

North Risk Partners is a privately held, 150-employee insurance brokerage based in St. Paul, Minn. The brokerage has four independently operated agencies: St. Cloud-based Apollo, Rochester-based C.O. Brown, St. Paul-based Johnson McCann and Thief River Falls-based Thune. North Risk Partners also has multiple satellite locations across the state, including offices in Baudette, Roseau, Alexandria, Albany, Melrose, Monticello, Lake City, Mankato, Red Wing and Hastings. The firm provides risk management solutions in the areas of business insurance, employee benefits, and personal insurance, with additional support in the areas of human resources, loss control and wellness.

AmTrust Financial Services, CorePointe Insurance Co.

AmTrust Financial Services Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Birmingham, Mich.-based CorePointe Insurance Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of CorePointe Group LLC. The cash transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Established in 1964 CorePointe is a specialty property/casualty insurance company that markets commercial package insurance products primarily to automobile and motorcycle dealerships and auto repair shops.

The majority of CorePointe’s insurance products and services are distributed through managing general agencies that have had long-standing business relationships with CorePointe.

In 2013, CorePointe profitably generated $53.7 million in net earned premium.

AmTrust Financial Services Inc., a multinational insurance holding company headquartered in New York, offers specialty property/casualty insurance products, including workers’ compensation, commercial automobile, general liability, and extended service and warranty coverage through its primary insurance subsidiaries rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best.

Victor O. Schinnerer, SeaFire Insurance Services

Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. announced an agreement to acquire SeaFire Insurance Services, a Kansas-based managing general underwriter focused on providing property/casualty solutions for the auto dealership and auto repair market.

All of SeaFire’s leadership and employees will join Schinnerer and will remain in their current Overland Park, Kan., location. Dennis Kane, president of SeaFire, will continue to lead the business.

SeaFire’s product offering includes garage liability, property, pollution, auto physical damage and umbrella liability written through several insurers.

The acquisition is part of Chevy Chase, Md.-based Schinnerer’s broader strategy to continue growing its specialty P/C portfolio, which already includes solutions for oil and gas contractors, loggers, and public entities, in addition to specialty products like builders risk, the firm stated.