National Growth From the Heart of Texas

By Mike Scott

Higginbotham has grown from a small Fort Worth insurance agency founded in 1948 into one of the nation’s largest independent insurance brokerages, with more than 4,500 team members and 150-plus offices across 19 states. But even as the company has expanded, its leaders say one thing has remained constant: a culture built around its people.

That culture helped Higginbotham receive the most nominations of any finalist in this year’s Best Agency to Work For survey.

“Knowing that our own people took the time to nominate us in such [high numbers] is something we’re incredibly proud of,” said Higginbotham’s Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid. “It tells us that the culture we’ve worked hard to build is being felt by the people who experience it every day across our entire footprint.”

Higginbotham was founded by Paul C. Higginbotham in 1948 as a small personal lines agency in Fort Worth. William “Bill” Stroud, Higginbotham’s nephew, purchased the agency in 1962 and led it for the next 27 years. When Stroud decided to sell in 1989, the agency became employee-owned, with Reid, then 27, assuming the CEO role.

Years later, that employee ownership remains central to the company’s identity. The model gives employees a financial stake in the firm and is designed to align their interests with the company’s long-term success.

“Our employee ownership mindset sets us apart,” Reid said. “We want our people to think and act like owners because they are owners.” There is a level of accountability, pride, and commitment to clients and each other that comes with that ownership model, he added.

Higginbotham is a single-source provider of insurance, financial, and human resources services. It offers business and personal insurance, employee benefits, retirement plans, risk management, and HR services. The firm also emphasizes its “Day Two Services,” providing ongoing risk management and benefits support after coverage is placed.

Higginbotham’s commitment to professional development internally is another important part of its environment. Programs include the Summer Internship Program, HIGG U for technical training, the Producer Academy for sales development, and a learning management system offering continuing education. The company also promotes career opportunities as it grows.

Being a good employer, Reid said, means allowing employees to build careers rather than filling positions.

“Listen to your people and invest in them,” he said. “You can have the best strategy in the world, but your people are the ones who bring it to life every day.”

Higginbotham’s leadership gives its team members opportunities to grow, recognizes their contributions, and makes sure they understand how their work connects to the success of the company.

Maintaining that culture becomes more challenging as an organization grows, but Higginbotham has been intentional about creating ways for employees across its expanding footprint to stay connected. The company recently launched an internal communications and engagement platform designed to help employees share accomplishments, recognize colleagues, and stay connected to companywide goals. That information is available for team members to review when needed.

All of these factors are tied to the concepts of being family to employees, accountable to clients, teammates to carriers, and generous to communities. These shared principles unite Higginbotham employees.

“We’ve been very intentional about protecting the culture that has defined Higginbotham for decades,” Reid said. “Growth can change how a company operates, but it doesn’t have to change who you are.”

The commitment to the communities where Higginbotham’s employees live and work alone is impressive. They have collectively contributed $21 million to the Higginbotham Community Fund over the years, supporting nonprofits important to their communities. That community commitment is connected to the same philosophy as employee ownership.

After all, people who feel invested in the organization are more likely to invest in its success.