SLC insurance wholesaler sold to Arthur J. Gallagher [Enterprise, The (UT)]

Transwestern General Agency Inc., a Salt Lake City insurance wholesaler that has been in business since 1954, has been sold to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an Itasca, I11.-based firm that is one of the world's largest insurance broker and risk management services companies.

The Utah company will retain its location at 440 S. 500 E. and all of its 30-plus employees, and is now known as RPS Transwestern, said Jeffrey Burgener, whose grandfather founded the company. Burgener now serves as area president.

"It was just time for us to elevate the organization," Burgener said of the sale, which sees Transwestern joining Gallagher's RPS (risk placement services) group. "They're the fastest-growing general agency network in the United States right now. We'll get more referral business from other RPS offices and in the future we'll be getting into more markets. It's a whole new step to the next level for us "

Transwestern provides independent insurance agents with excess and surplus, property/casualty, professional business liability and other specialty insurance products and services in eight regional states. The firm specializes in insurance coverage for high-net worth individuals and the transportation industry.

"TGA's strong sales culture has been focuses on a team-based approach to service excellence, which makes them an outstanding merger partner," said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman, president and CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. "They also have superior carrier relationships that are so important when placing difficult risks for their broker clients."

Arthur. J. Gallagher & Co. has operations in 16 countries and offers client-service capabilities in more than 100 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. It provides a full range of retail and wholesale property/casualty brokerage and alternative risk transfer services globally, as well as employee benefit brokerage, consulting and actuarial services. Gallagher also offers claims and information management, risk control consulting and appraisal services to clients around the world.