Community Insurance Group, Ltd, is the first agency of Ohio to join forces with Higginbotham, a Texas-based independent insurance, financial, and HR services firm. With this transaction, Higginbotham — ranked among the largest independent brokers in the U.S. – now has a presence in 16 states across the country.
Higginbotham celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Rusty Reid, Higginbotham chairman and CEO, credits careful, strategic growth for that long term success, guiding the company to seek partners with sterling reputations in their local markets and strong cultural affinities.
“At Higginbotham, we’re committed to transparency and authenticity — and we look for partners who share those beliefs,” said Reid. “The hallmark of a Higginbotham partner is a strong business backed by genuine care for the customer and their community.”
For over a quarter century, Community Insurance Group has cared for clients in western Ohio, selling a variety of coverage lines, including personal, commercial, agribusiness, life, and employee benefits. With deep ties to the region it serves, Community Insurance Group easily met and exceeded the standards Higginbotham seeks in agencies with which it joins forces.
“The name says it best,” Reid declared. “Community Insurance Group: they are advocates for their community and their clients, always looking for better ways to serve them. That is a culture and value we share, and we are proud to count their team as a partner.”
Jeff Sargeant, President of Community Insurance Group, agreed that shared values made the deal with Higginbotham an easy choice.
“The process of deciding to join forces with Higginbotham was a pleasure,” Sargeant stated. “We needed to ensure our ability to serve our clients for the long term, but we didn’t want to lose our identity. With Higginbotham, we found a national company that can support our growth while sharing our community-minded perspective.”
Sargeant went on to highlight the benefits of the transaction for his company’s clients and their community:
“Here in the Midwest, we like to deal with people one-on-one, but we also want sophisticated solutions and access to all the markets. With this new partnership, we can provide both. We can be that small town business, but with global support and economies of scale behind us.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Sargeant concluded. “Our employees, our associates, are part of an employee-owned group. When you call our office, you’re still going to get our team. Nothing’s changing that way. But now we have a powerful service team behind us.”
