Sunstar Insurance Group
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Sunstar Insurance Group does
Sunstar Insurance Group, founded in 2012 by Casey Bowlin and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, is a privately held financial holding company that acquires majority equity positions in independent insurance agencies across the southern and midwestern United States. As of 2026 it operates a network of more than 25 acquired agency brands through 75+ offices in nine states, employing 930+ professionals and placing over $2 billion in annual written premiums on behalf of commercial businesses, individuals and families, employee benefits clients, and surety bond customers. The company is majority-owned by Reverence Capital Partners following a July 2024 transaction, with founder Casey Bowlin having transitioned from CEO to Chairman in May 2026 and Adam Meyerowitz assuming the CEO role.
The operating model preserves the local brand, leadership, and sales culture of each acquired agency while centralizing back-office administration, carrier negotiations, technology, and acquisition support at the holding-company level. Core technology is built on the Applied Epic agency management system, used uniformly across the network and supported by an in-house technology function. Product surface spans four service lines — Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Employee Benefits, and Surety Bonds — with additional fee-based revenue from a third-party administration (TPA) business (Millennium Risk Managers) and premium-finance arrangements.
Revenue is generated primarily through commissions calculated as a percentage of premium placed with carrier partners (national and regional underwriters plus Lloyd's of London), supplemented by carrier contingent compensation tied to premium volume and underwriting profitability, premium-finance referral fees, and client service fees. Customer segmentation is horizontal: commercial lines serve businesses of all sizes across industries including construction, healthcare, and manufacturing; personal lines cover individuals and families; employee benefits serves employers seeking group medical, life, disability, and retirement plan brokerage; and surety bonds serve construction, judicial, and commercial clients. Growth is driven through a dual organic-and-inorganic engine, with a dedicated Chief Acquisition Officer and active deal pipeline targeting additional geographies, products, and vertical specializations.
Sunstar Insurance Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sunstar Insurance Group
- Legal name
- Sunstar Insurance Group LLC
- Website
- https://sunstarinsurancegroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Sunstar Insurance Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
Sunstar Insurance Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Commissions: Sunstar receives commissions calculated as a percentage of premium paid to insurance carriers represented by their agencies. Commissions reflect services provided to clients on behalf of insurance companies.
- Contingent Compensation: Additional compensation from insurance companies based on incentive or contingent criteria such as total premium written volume, underwriting profitability, or other factors. These payments are typically determined when the underwriting year is closed.
- Premium Finance Fees: When Sunstar assists clients in arranging premium financing through a premium finance company, they may receive a fee or other compensation from the finance company. Investment income may also be earned on premiums held in the agency's bank account.
- Client Service Fees: Sunstar may have specific agreements to receive compensation or fees from clients for services rendered.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Commission-based compensation model |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sunstar Insurance Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sunstar Insurance Group is a financial holding company that acquires majority equity ownership positions in independent insurance agencies operating across the southern and midwestern United States. Through its network of 75+ offices and 900+ professionals in 9 states, Sunstar delivers commercial lines, personal lines, employee benefits, and surety bond products and services on behalf of leading national and regional insurance carriers, placing more than $2 billion in written premiums annually.
Product overview
Sunstar Insurance Group is a financial holding company that acquires majority equity ownership in independent insurance agencies, operating them under their existing brands while providing centralized back-office resources, capital, and strategic oversight. The organization is not a single unified software product but a network of 28+ acquired agency brands organized under a unified umbrella. Its product portfolio is organized across four core service lines — Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Employee Benefits, and Surety Bonds — delivered through its owned/acquired agency network. Key acquired agency brands include Sunstar Insurance Tennessee, Sunstar Insurance of Arkansas, Sunstar Insurance of Kansas, Sunstar Insurance Services (Mississippi), Lakenan, W.E. Walker-Lakenan, Strong's Insurance (with Kingman Insurance Agency and Wartick Insurance), The Insurancenter, PJC Insurance Agency, Chapman & Hogan Insurance Group, Bulldog Insurance, Petra RMS, TIG Advisors, Campbell & Company, Farris Insurance Agency, First Arkansas Insurance, Insurance Solutions Group, Blumberg and Associates, Whitehaven Insurance, Collins Insurance Agency, Clay & Land Insurance, Southwest Georgia Insurance, Thomas Harrison and Associates Insurance Agency, RJR Faribo Insurance Agency, Millennium Risk Managers, and Sonus Benefits. The combined entity places over $2 billion in premiums annually across 58+ agencies in 9 states with 930+ professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Lines Full-spectrum commercial insurance products and services ranging from traditional policies to complex self-insurance schemes, serving businesses of any size in any industry. Offerings include General Liability, Property, Business Auto, Umbrella, D&O, Professional Liability, Workers' Compensation, Cyber, Crime, Employment Practices, International, Medical Malpractice, Inland/Ocean Marine, Environmental, and Self-Insurance/Captives.
- Personal Lines Insurance coverage for individuals and families protecting personal assets and liability. Offerings include Auto, Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Watercraft, ATV, Classic Car, Fine Arts, Personal Umbrella, Flood, Aviation, Trip Cancellation, Travel Accident, Identity Theft, Motorcycle, Pet, and Wedding insurance.
- Employee Benefits Consulting and brokerage services for employee benefits programs, including plan design, funding analysis, marketing to underwriters, implementation support, and administration. Offerings include Group Medical, Individual Medical/ACA, Group and Individual Life/Disability, Vision, Dental, Wellness Programs, Cafeteria/Section 125 Plans, Self-Insurance, Retirement Plans, COBRA/HIPAA Administration, and Claims Consulting.
- Surety Bonds All types of surety bonds including construction, judicial, commercial, and industrial. Offerings include Contract Bid, Contract Performance, Permit, License, Judicial, Business, Government, Financial Guaranty, Tax, Supply, Maintenance, Fiduciary, and Fidelity/Employee Dishonesty bonds. Sunstar is licensed to do surety business in all states and can provide bonds for international opportunities.
- Third-Party Administration (TPA) and Claims Administration Self-insurance administration, workers' compensation claims administration, and cost containment services for corporate clients. Operated through Millennium Risk Managers, the second largest TPA in Alabama, with 1,500+ corporate clients and contracts with 15 trade associations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ranked 32nd largest independent insurance agency in the country
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sunstar Insurance Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sunstar Insurance Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Sunstar Insurance Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Insurance Carriers (National and Regional)coreSunstar works with all of America's leading commercial lines, personal lines, and employee benefits insurance underwriters, and Lloyds of London. The large volume of premium that Sunstar produces gives the company negotiating leverage to secure best policy terms and competitive pricing for clients.
- Surety UnderwriterscoreSunstar has strong and long-standing relationships with all of America's leading surety underwriters. The company is licensed to do surety business in all states and can provide bonds for international opportunities.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sunstar Insurance Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- USI Insurance Services: PE-backed insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultancy serving mid-to-large clients. Comparable business mix (commercial P&C, employee benefits, personal lines) and PE-backed roll-up growth strategy.
- Prime Risk Partners: PE-backed insurance brokerage roll-up co-founded by Adam Meyerowitz (now Sunstar's CEO). Highly comparable in business model, M&A strategy, and Southern US footprint.
- Acrisure: PE-backed insurance brokerage roll-up and one of the largest in the US. Directly comparable to Sunstar in business model (acquiring independent agencies, retaining local brands, centralizing back-office) and scale, though materially larger in premium volume.
- EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants: PE-backed retail insurance brokerage and consulting firm. Adam Meyerowitz (Sunstar's new CEO) was previously COO at EPIC, making it an especially relevant comparable on operating playbook.
- Brown & Riding Insurance Services: PE-backed specialty insurance brokerage. Similar financial-sponsor-backed acquisition approach and focus on building scale through M&A in the independent agency channel.
- Hub International: PE-backed insurance brokerage acquired by funds affiliated with Hellman & Friedman and others. Closely comparable model of acquiring independent agencies; Daniel Romero served as VP of M&A at Hub before joining Sunstar.
- AssuredPartners: PE-backed insurance brokerage roll-up headquartered in Florida, similarly focused on acquiring independent agencies in the Southeast and across the US. Direct overlap with Sunstar's footprint and acquisition model.
Broad incumbents
- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Large public insurance brokerage and risk management firm. Comparable in product breadth (commercial, personal, employee benefits, surety-adjacent) but operates at vastly larger scale with a public-market operating model.
- Lockton Companies: Largest privately held insurance brokerage in the US. Comparable in being private and independent, and in combining specialty expertise with broad commercial offerings; operates at much larger scale.
Emerging players
- RPS (Risk Placement Services): Wholesale brokerage and specialty MGA platform owned by Arthur J. Gallagher. Comparable adjacency in the independent agency value chain, particularly for E&S placement that Sunstar agencies also require.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sunstar Insurance Group social profiles
Digital presenceSunstar Insurance Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sunstar Insurance Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles33 records
Sunstar Insurance Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries25 records
Sunstar Insurance Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sunstar Insurance Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A8 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sunstar Insurance Group
What does Sunstar Insurance Group do?
Sunstar Insurance Group is a financial holding company that acquires majority equity ownership positions in independent insurance agencies operating across the southern and midwestern United States. Through its network of 75+ offices and 900+ professionals in 9 states, Sunstar delivers commercial lines, personal lines, employee benefits, and surety bond products and services on behalf of leading national and regional insurance carriers, placing more than $2 billion in written premiums annually.
Is Sunstar Insurance Group a public or private company?
Sunstar Insurance Group is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Sunstar Insurance Group founded?
Sunstar Insurance Group was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Sunstar Insurance Group based?
Sunstar Insurance Group is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sunstar Insurance Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Insurance Commissions are the primary driver. The others are contingent Compensation, premium Finance Fees and client Service Fees.
Who are Sunstar Insurance Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are USI Insurance Services, Prime Risk Partners, Acrisure, EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, Brown & Riding Insurance Services, Hub International and AssuredPartners. Broad incumbents are Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and Lockton Companies. RPS (Risk Placement Services) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sunstar Insurance Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sunstar Insurance Group.