Business Moves
Choice Financial, Fonner Insurance
Choice Financial Group has acquired property/casualty insurance agency Fonner Insurance Associates in Abington, Pennsylvania.
Fonner has served the greater Philadelphia area for 30 years led by the Fonner family. William and Eric Fonner will continue managing the business as part of Choice.
Fonner represents the sixth acquisition for Choice since partnering with private equity firm Northlane Capital Partners in October 2021.
Choice is expanding its market presence through targeted acquisitions. Choice is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and has 18 offices in eight states.
Alera Group, West Michigan Insurance
Alera Group acquired West Michigan Insurance Inc., a property/casualty insurance agency based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with additional office locations in Shelby and Hart, Michigan.
Founded in 1924, West Michigan Insurance brings an array of insurance and risk management knowledge to the marketplace. It offers personal and commercial insurance programs, with designated experts in restaurants, farm and crop, non-profit, construction, and commercial trucking.
West Michigan Insurance will join Alera Group through Lighthouse, an Alera Group company located in Grand Rapids. The West Michigan Insurance team will continue serving clients in their existing roles.
Arthur J. Gallagher, Hruska Insurancenter
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Mokena, Illinois-based Hruska Insurancenter Inc.
Founded in 1956, Hruska Insurancenter is a retail property/casualty brokerage with a particular focus on commercial real estate clients, including condominiums and apartment complexes. The team also supports a range of other commercial and personal lines clients, primarily throughout Chicagoland and the upper Midwest.
Charles J. Hruska III and his associates will continue to operate from their Mokena location under the direction of Ryan Isaacs, head of Gallagher’s Midwest region retail property/casualty brokerage operations.
BXS Insurance, Wall 2 Wall
BXS Insurance Inc., a subsidiary of Cadence Bank, acquired the assets of Wall 2 Wall Benefit Services, headquartered in Stafford, Texas.
Wall 2 Wall, founded by Rand Wall, provides insurance and employee benefit services throughout Texas. Wall 2 Wall’s employees will become part of BXSI’s Houston office.
Rand Wall stated that Wall 2 Wall’s employees are ready to leverage BXSI’s vast array of resources to provide clients with expanded insurance and employee benefit solutions.
BXSI is in the top 10% of brokers in the U.S. based on total revenue, according to the transaction announcement.
Rightmyer, Sam Dexter
Two of the oldest insurance agencies in Central Kentucky have merged.
Rightmyer Insurance Agency in Danville, founded in the 1930s, has joined forces with Sam Dexter Insurance Agency, established in 1954. The two agencies are headquartered a few blocks from each other in downtown Danville.
The Rightmyer agency was started by Chris Rightmyer’s grandfather. Chris joined the team in 2003.
Sam Dexter began his firm after a career in law enforcement. Current principal Mark Dexter joined in 1975.
Risk Strategies, Insurance Center
Boston-based specialty insurance broker Risk Strategies acquired The Insurance Center of Central Florida, a property/casualty insurance and risk management agency based in Melbourne, Florida.
ICCF was founded by Frank Hanrahan, its president and owner, a Pittsburgh native whose father was also in the insurance business. Hanrahan moved to Florida and opened ICCF in 1991.
Risk Strategies continues to acquire agencies; more than 100 organizations have joined the company since its founding in 1997.
USI, Ames-Grenz Insurance Services
USI Insurance Services acquired Sacramento, California-based Ames-Grenz Insurance Services Inc.
Ames-Grenz is an employee benefits brokerage and advisory firm.
USI is an insurance brokerage and consulting firm providing property/casualty, employee benefits, personal risk, program and retirement services.