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Fort Worth-based Higginbotham, the largest independent insurance, financial and HR services firm headquartered in Texas, just got bigger.
Barnard Insurance Group of Wichita Falls has joined the family through acquisition.
This move turns a friendly rivalry between neighbors into a sturdy collaboration with benefits for teams and clients on both sides, according to the firm.
“Barnard Insurance Group has been family owned and operated since 1931,” said Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid in a statement. “They have accounts that are 60 years old, and a wall in their office that celebrates team members who’ve been on board for 30 years or more. They have terrific relationships with insurance carriers and irreplaceable expertise in the energy industry. Best of all, we already know them and know we’re going to enjoy working with them.”
Higginbotham already had an office in Wichita Falls, two hours northwest of the home base, Fort Worth.
“Rusty likes to say about future partners, ‘Would you have Thanksgiving dinner with them?’” said Barnard Managing Director John Barnard. “Well, we’re past that point with the Higginbotham folks. I used to be next door neighbors with the managing director here, and our kids go to school together. We’re committed members of the same community, so in a way, we’re already a team. Now we get to take that teamwork to the office as well.
Higginbotham is a single source solution for insurance, financial and HR/employee benefits services. The employee-owned firm was established in 1948 and ranks by revenue today as the nation’s 21st largest independent insurance brokerage, according to the firm.
“The industry has changed a lot. You've got to have a strong team behind you and a lot of insurance carriers to choose from — which means you've got to have the buying power of a company like Higginbotham,” Barnard said. “We’re excited for the future with this partnership because it’s going to make us more competitive and allow us to offer more value to our clients than ever before.”