Heffernan Insurance Brokers

What Heffernan Insurance Brokers does

Heffernan Insurance Brokers is an independent, employee-owned insurance brokerage founded in 1988 and headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. The firm places commercial, personal, employee benefits, and financial products through licensed brokers and a growing digital self-serve channel called Quick Insure, and serves customers nationwide across more than 20 specialty verticals including nonprofit, construction, cannabis, aviation, pharmacy, religious organizations, janitorial, security, franchise, transportation, real estate, healthcare, technology, and marine cargo. Premium volume reached $2 billion in 2025, up from $600 million three years earlier, and revenue exceeds $200 million. Distribution combines traditional broker-led sales, the Quick Insure platform with third-party integrations (Nationwide pet, Thimble, Coversmart, Blue Cross Blue Shield Global, Propeller, InsureMyEquipment), a Heffernan Network of 800+ independent brokers, and a co-branded franchise channel.

Name

Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Legal name

Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Website

https://heffins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Heffernan Insurance Brokers is an independent, employee-owned brokerage placing commercial, personal, employee benefits, and financial insurance across 20+ specialty verticals for businesses and individuals nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Employee benefits consulting
• Personal lines insurance
• Specialty insurance programs
• Risk management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Walnut Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Traditional insurance brokerage earning commissions from insurance carriers for placing coverage. Revenue generated from new policy placements and renewals across commercial insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, and financial services.
2. Consulting Services: Fee-based consulting services including claims advocacy, risk management consulting, HR consulting, and loss control services. Company states over $1 billion in claims managed with 25+ years of claims expertise.
3. Compliance Management Services: Third-party insurance compliance management services using AI-driven software for vendor compliance.
4. Technology Solutions: Technology solutions including insurance technology platforms and software for risk management and insurance procurement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Heffernan Insurance Brokers is an independent, employee-owned insurance brokerage that places commercial and personal insurance coverage with carriers on behalf of clients and earns brokerage commissions. The firm operates dedicated divisions for business insurance (commercial property/casualty, employee benefits, specialty lines), personal insurance (private client, family office, individual health, life), and financial/retirement services, supplemented by a self-serve Quick Insure digital quoting platform and niche practices in nonprofit, construction, cannabis, aviation, healthcare, transportation, hospitality, real estate, technology, religious organizations, and marine cargo.

Product overview

Heffernan Insurance Brokers operates as a large independent insurance brokerage offering a comprehensive, multi-channel insurance and financial services platform. The core offering consists of Business Insurance (commercial property, casualty, liability, and specialty lines), Health Insurance/Employee Benefits, Personal Insurance, and Financial Services/Retirement Planning. The company has developed a digital Quick Insure platform for fast quotes on personal and business coverage. Specialty practice areas include Aviation, Cannabis, Construction, Cyber, Healthcare, Hospitality, Marine Cargo (enhanced by PAC Global acquisition), Nonprofit, Private Equity/M&A, Real Estate, Technology, and Transportation sectors. The company maintains niche divisions like HeffDirect for small business and serves over 4,000 nonprofit clients through Nonprofits Insurance CHOICE. Service offerings include Claims Advocacy consulting with medical triage, AI-driven compliance management, and retirement services. Founded in 1988 as an employee-owned company with over $200 million in revenue, Heffernan has grown organically and through strategic acquisitions including Costello Insurance Associates, Calco Commercial, Achieve Alpha Insurance, Stitz & Associates, twentytwenty Insurance Services, and PAC Global.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HeffDirect: Small business insurance division of Heffernan Insurance Brokers, specializing in sectors like vape, medical spa, and cryotherapy.
• Nonprofits Insurance CHOICE
• Heffernan Religious Institution Programs (HRIP)
• Presbyterian*One*
• Port-A-Gard
• Carsmart Insure
• HIB Marketplace

Products and services

• Business Insurance Comprehensive commercial insurance programs covering property, casualty, liability, and specialized industry-specific coverages for businesses of all sizes, including niche practices in nonprofit, construction, healthcare, transportation, hospitality, food industry, real estate, technology, cannabis, aviation, and marine cargo sectors.
• Health Insurance / Employee Benefits

Quantifiable outcome

• 96-98% accuracy rate in policy checks and proposal generation using Fulcrum AI platform
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Stitch StudiocoreTechnology or Integration · 6 April 2026Collaboration with Stitch Studio to develop proprietary carrier appetite database with agentic AI workflows that showed approximately 50% improvement in placement success rates during testing.
• Semsee CorpcoreTechnology or Integration · 3 October 2023Semsee Corp powers HIB Marketplace, Heffernan's internal wholesale technology platform for accessing insurance markets.
• ComulatestrategicTechnology or Integration · 19 September 2023Partnership with Comulate, the revenue automation platform for brokers, to enhance operational efficiency.
• TrustLayercoreTechnology or Integration · 11 July 2023Partnership with TrustLayer to automate insurance verification for customers, expanding the existing partnership originally established in 2023.
• The HartfordcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2020Partnership with The Hartford to offer Business Insurance for Independent Pharmacy Owners. The Hartford provides the insurance products while Heffernan serves as the broker.
• NationwidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide pet insurance offered through Heffernan's Quick Insure platform, providing trusted and customizable pet insurance plans.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield GlobalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlue Cross Blue Shield Global travel insurance offered through Heffernan's Quick Insure platform for short-term travel coverage.
• Employee NavigatorcoreTechnology or IntegrationEmployee Navigator is a comprehensive online benefits administration platform integrated into Heffernan's client access offerings, providing benefits administration, ACA reporting, integrated payroll, new hire onboarding, and HR management.
• PropellercoreTechnology or IntegrationPropeller's Bond Portal for quoting, issuing, and purchasing surety bonds. Heffernan maintains licensing and product responsibility while Propeller provides the technology platform.
• InsureMyEquipment.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsureMyEquipment.com portal for camera equipment insurance quotes, binding, and policy printing. Premier online insurance portal for camera, sound, lighting, grip equipment and more.
• ThimblecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThimble provides short-term general liability insurance quotes through Heffernan's Quick Insure platform for temporary business needs.
• CoversmartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoversmart provides special event insurance quotes through Heffernan's Quick Insure platform for weddings, corporate gatherings, and private parties.
• Carsmart InsurecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarsmart Insure program provides Turo Host auto insurance coverage starting at $20 per month, offered through Heffernan's peer-to-peer car rental insurance page.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brown & Riding: Brown & Riding is a privately held specialty insurance wholesale broker and underwriting manager focused on construction, casualty, marine, and excess & surplus lines. It is closely comparable to Heffernan's specialty placement capabilities and is a potential partner or competitor for niche accounts.
• Acrisure: Acrisure is a fast-growing, tech-enabled insurance brokerage that has built scale through an aggressive M&A rollup of retail agencies and specialty practices, mirroring Heffernan's growth playbook. Both compete for specialty producer talent and integrate AI tooling into brokerage workflows.
• Lockton Companies: Lockton is the world's largest privately held insurance brokerage, with strong specialty practices in aviation, construction, marine, and nonprofit — all areas where Heffernan competes. Both firms are employee- or partner-owned and emphasize client service over public-market reporting.
• Burns & Wilcox: Burns & Wilcox is one of the largest specialty insurance wholesalers and managing general agents in North America, with deep expertise in aviation, marine, construction, and excess & surplus lines. It is a relevant peer for Heffernan's specialty placement and wholesale brokerage capabilities.
• Hub International: Hub International is a large private insurance brokerage owned by PE sponsor Hellman & Friedman, operating across commercial, personal, and employee benefits lines via a rollup strategy. Like Heffernan, Hub emphasizes regional hubs with specialty practice overlays and is a direct competitor for mid-market accounts.
• USI Insurance Services: USI is a privately held, employee-owned insurance brokerage with a similar ownership structure, mid-market commercial focus, and growing specialty practice mix to Heffernan. Both firms emphasize employee ownership, producer equity participation, and US-wide rollup M&A.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Gallagher is one of the largest publicly traded insurance brokerages with a broad commercial and specialty practice mix, including construction, aviation, and nonprofit verticals that overlap directly with Heffernan's niche practices. Both firms pursue aggressive tuck-in M&A strategies across the US brokerage landscape.
• Alliant Insurance Services: Alliant is a privately held specialty insurance brokerage with a similar mix of construction, real estate, healthcare, and nonprofit practices, and pursues comparable tuck-in M&A. It is a direct competitor for specialty producer talent in California and the Western US.

Broad incumbents

• Marsh McLennan: Marsh is the world's largest insurance broker and a subsidiary of Marsh McLennan, serving enterprise and mid-market clients across all major specialty lines including aviation, marine, construction, and cyber. It competes with Heffernan for larger accounts but operates at vastly greater scale and global reach.
• Aon: Aon is the second-largest global insurance and reinsurance broker, with broad specialty capabilities including aviation, marine cargo, construction, and M&A advisory — overlapping with Heffernan's specialty practices. It competes for large enterprise accounts and provides scale-driven carrier access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HeffernanGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/Heffins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heffernan-insurance-brokers
• Instagraminstagram.com/heffernan_ins
• Xx.com/Heffernan_Ins

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A11 records

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heffernan Insurance Brokers