Arbury Insurance excited about acquisition by Hub int'l

After Hub International Limited's acquisition in March of Midland-based Arbury Insurance Agency and the assets of Michigan Insurance Associates, the companies will do "co-branding" for about a year before the local agency completely shifts to the name of Hub International.

Hub International describes itself as a leading global insurance brokerage and financial services firm.

"For 12 months we're co-branding as 'Arbury Insurance, a company of Hub International,'" explained Arbury Senior Vice President Matt Granzo. "At 12 months, we'll just be known here in the community as Hub. New signs will go up as well."

Arbury Insurance is one of the oldest businesses in Midland, marking 150 years this year since its founding in 1874. The agency has no plans to move from its current location at 2816 Jefferson.

Granzo said becoming part of Hub gives Arbury's clients access to more insurance carriers and more resources.

"Just with the the state of the industry, we were searching for more options as far as access to carriers to better serve our clients," Granzo said. "As a small agency, we felt we were getting a little bit limited and we wanted to expand our reach. We now have access to more tools and resources that we'll be able to deliver to our clients."

For her part, Caroly Hofstee, President of Hub Midwest East, said acquiring Arbury and the assets of Michigan Insurance Associates will expand the reach of Hub, which last year acquired Project Motown in Michigan.

"We are excited to continue to expand our regional reach with the addition of these agencies to Hub," Hofstee said. "Adding Arbury Insurance and Michigan Insurance Associates aligns with our focus on growing and bringing in high-performing talent, and strengthening our expertise that will be invaluable to clients as they navigate the current economic market and beyond."

The two Midland firms' principals -- Michelle Chesney, Matt Granzo, Jacob Howard, Brian Holmes, Neil Provost, Jared Leidich, Austin Rapanos - and their respective teams have joined Hub Midwest East. The two firms were represented by the consulting firm Reagan Consulting for the transaction.

"With Hub's depth of resources, talent and specialized teams, we will be able to offer our clients expanded expertise and solutions," said Granzo. "We look forward to collaborating with the many other accomplished professionals at Hub and to further expand our experiences and better serve our clients."

Arbury Senior Vice President Brian Holmes said the agency retained all 28 employees that it had before being acquired by Hub.

"We're actually looking to add a couple more people to the team as we speak, to help with our growth that's going on right now," Holmes said.

Holmes acknowledged that no longer having the Arbury name with the company next year will be a significant change.

"It was definitely thought of in this whole acquisition. The Arbury name has been in Midland for 150 years. It's important to keep that legacy (going)," Holmes said. "The importance of the Arbury name is focused on the clients. We still want what's best for our clients. The name is going to change, but who we are is not."

Arbury Senior Vice President of Benefits Michelle Chesney noted that she joined Arbury from Michigan Insurance Associates, and Arbury also acquired Miller Insurance recently, so a company can continue to thrive after a name change if it remains true to its customers.

"That transition was easy; my clients accepted that transition," she said. "In addition, Arbury acquired Miller Insurance a year ago. The name hasn't been an issue as long as our service has been stellar and we continue to do what we promise for our clients."

Chesney said this is an exciting change but that the company will continue doing the same things that have built its reputation.

"We 're really excited about this partnership with Hub. They've got an amazing culture and their leadership is phenomenal," Chesney said.

"We're still a small company in Midland. We're not leaving Midland," she added.

"We just want our clients and the people of Midland to know we're still going to participate in community events and be generous with our time and money. We still support our nonprofits."