What Scott Insurance does

Scott Insurance (legal entity James A. Scott & Son, Inc.) is one of the largest independent, employee-owned insurance brokerages in the United States, founded in 1863 and headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. Operating as both Scott Insurance and Scott Benefit Services, the firm delivers an integrated suite of property and casualty, employee benefits, captive insurance, and surety bond solutions to mid-market companies (typically 50–1,000+ employees) across the Southeast, with captive insurance operations extending to Grand Cayman. The company augments its brokerage practice with proprietary assets such as the ACE Navigator claims management application, the Risk Performance Group (a behavioral-science-driven safety practice), and the Heritage Group Health Captive — the first group health captive dedicated to the senior living industry.

The firm employs 251–500 people across offices in Lynchburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Greensboro, Charlotte, Greenville/Spartanburg, and Nashville/Franklin, and serves verticals including senior living, manufacturing, construction, agribusiness, affordable housing, and private equity. Revenue is generated primarily through commissions from carriers on placed coverage (P&C, benefits, captive, surety), supplemented by advisory fees and benchmarking services; the firm has run a recurring Mid-Market Employee Benefits Benchmarking Survey with Milliman covering 7,600+ companies.

Scott Insurance has been recognized as a Best Practices Agency for over 30 consecutive years and is consistently ranked among the top 30 U.S. agencies by Reagan & Associates. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven, consultative field sales executed by licensed Risk Advisors and Benefits Consultants, supported by thought leadership content (blog, Risk Matters podcast, webinars, industry conferences). AI is used internally as a productivity tool for workflow automation and pattern recognition but is explicitly excluded from underwriting or claims decision-making.

Name

Scott Insurance

Legal name

James A. Scott & Son, Inc.

Website

https://scottins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1863

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Scott Insurance is an independent, employee-owned brokerage (founded 1863) providing property & casualty, employee benefits, captive insurance, and surety bond solutions to mid-market companies across the Southeast U.S. and Grand Cayman, supported by proprietary risk and claims tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Surety Insurance (6351)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Lines Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Captive Insurance Advisory & Management (FSAEADAF), Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ), Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Employee benefits consulting
• Captive insurance services
• Surety bond solutions
• Risk management advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Lynchburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Scott Insurance acts as an independent insurance agency/broker earning commissions from insurance carriers on property & casualty, employee benefits, captive insurance, and surety bond placements placed on behalf of clients. Revenue is generated through commissions on new business placements, renewals, and endorsements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Scott Insurance is an independent insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm that places commercial property & casualty insurance, employee benefits, captive insurance, and surety bonds on behalf of mid-market clients. Licensed Risk Advisors and Benefits Consultants design coverage programs, negotiate with carriers, and provide ongoing claims advocacy and account management. The firm also operates captive insurance facilities in Grand Cayman and the United States, and provides personal lines (auto, home, health, Medicare) to individuals.

Product overview

Scott Insurance is an independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance and risk management solutions. The company provides property and casualty insurance, employee benefits consulting, captive insurance, surety bonds, and personal insurance services as distinct but interconnected offerings. The product suite includes specialized services such as the Risk Performance Group for operational risk management, ACE Navigator software for incident reporting, and the Heritage Group Health Program as the first group health captive for senior living. Performance Thinking serves as the company's thought leadership platform combining blog, podcast, and event content. The company also maintains industry-specific practices for senior living, construction, manufacturing, and other sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property & Casualty Insurance Commercial property and casualty insurance brokerage for mid-market companies, including risk management expertise, group captive programs, and small business solutions. Coverage is placed with insurance carriers and managed by licensed Risk Advisors.
• Employee Benefits Consulting Employee benefits brokerage and consulting services for mid-market employers, including group health plan design, pharmacy benefits management, benefits captives, compliance support, and an annual mid-market benchmarking survey conducted with Milliman.
• Captive Insurance Alternative risk financing through captive insurance programs, including group captives for workers' compensation, property & casualty, and senior living employee benefits. Scott has captive insurance operations in Grand Cayman and the United States.
• Surety Bonds Surety bond brokerage covering contract surety bonds, license surety bonds across multiple industries, and a proprietary LIHTC Recapture Bond product developed for the affordable housing market.
• Personal Insurance Personal insurance brokerage for individuals and families, including auto, homeowners, and property insurance.
• Risk Performance Group A specialized risk management service within the Property & Casualty practice that uses behavioral science, data analysis, and operational integration to reduce workplace incidents, lower workers' compensation costs, and address cyber and fleet risk for mid-market clients.
• ACE Navigator A proprietary software application developed by Scott Insurance that leverages the ACE Navigation System to help clients capture incident information quickly and efficiently and to manage claims reporting.
• Heritage Group Health Program A group health captive program for senior living organizations, providing ownership and control of health insurance programs, alternative funding, and specialized benefits design for nursing homes, assisted living, and continuing care retirement communities.
• International Risk Management Services Risk management and insurance placement services for organizations with international operations and exposures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% client retention rate
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative (SuretyDIGIT Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a founding member of the SuretyDIGIT Coalition under The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative, Scott Insurance participates in industry-wide efforts to digitize the surety bond process using blockchain and other advanced technologies. This coalition brings together insurance industry leaders to collaborate on digital transformation initiatives for surety bonds.
• Cost Reduction Technologies (CRT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Insurance partners with Cost Reduction Technologies (CRT) to provide physical capability testing for pre-hire assessments. The CRT machine matches potential employees' strengths and agility to the physical demands of a job, helping employers identify and avoid common workers' compensation claims related to back, shoulder, and knee injuries.
• MillimancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Benefit Services partners annually with Milliman, the largest independent mid-market actuary in the U.S., to conduct the Mid-Market Employee Benefits Benchmarking Survey. Results from the 2023 survey include data from over 7,600 companies nationally representing 1.5 million employees and $19.4 billion in healthcare dollars spent. In the Southeast and Virginia regions, data comes from 417 companies, representing 115,000 employees and over $1.5 billion in healthcare dollars.
• SelectWellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelectWell, a precision health and wellness company, was a presenter at Scott Benefit Services' Fall Benefits Conference. SelectWell provides on-site advanced biomarker testing, personalized health coaching, and ongoing support to address metabolic health concerns among employees.
• RegenexxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegenexx, a leading company in interventional orthopedics, was a presenter at Scott Benefit Services' conference. Regenexx uses orthobiologics to offer a less invasive alternative to surgery, repairing joints through image-guided injections. Companies partnering with Regenexx report employees address issues normally requiring surgery sooner and recover more quickly.
• International Surety Company (LIHTC Recapture Bond)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Insurance partnered with an international surety company to develop a proprietary LIHTC Recapture Bond product for the affordable housing market, addressing the need for collateral when disposing of or purchasing a LIHTC property prior to the end of the 15-year compliance period.
• Fisher Phillips (Immigration Law Firm)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerScott Insurance partnered with Fisher Phillips, a national employment and immigration law firm, to deliver a Performance Thinking Webinar on immigration enforcement. Shanon Stevenson (Partner and Co-Chair of the Immigration Practice Group) and Travis Vance (Regional Managing Partner) provided expert insights to help employers prepare for increased worksite enforcement actions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AssuredPartners: Large U.S. insurance brokerage focused on middle-market commercial P&C, employee benefits, and risk management across regional offices — directly comparable to Scott in customer segment and product mix.
• Acrisure: One of the largest U.S. insurance brokerages built via roll-up of regional agencies; closely comparable to Scott in P&C, benefits, and captive offerings, with a strong tech-enabled service orientation.
• USI Insurance Services: Middle-market-focused insurance brokerage offering P&C, employee benefits, and specialty risk solutions; direct competitor in the same customer tier Scott serves.
• Hilb Group: Mid-Atlantic and Southeast-focused insurance brokerage serving middle-market commercial clients with P&C, benefits, and surety offerings — strong geographic and segment overlap with Scott.
• TrueNorth Companies: Mid-market insurance brokerage and risk management firm with P&C, employee benefits, and surety practices; comparable in size, customer segment, and integrated service model.
• Brown & Riding Insurance Services: Specialty insurance brokerage and wholesale firm with expertise in commercial and specialty lines including surety and professional lines — comparable to Scott on specialty placement depth.
• RPS (Risk Placement Services): Specialty insurance brokerage and wholesale distributor for E&S and specialty lines; relevant Scott peer given its focus on surety, captive, and specialized commercial placements.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm serving middle-market and large clients across P&C, employee benefits, and captives — broad incumbent overlap with Scott's service lines at significantly larger scale.
• Marsh McLennan: Global insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm; competes with Scott for mid-market and large commercial P&C and benefits placements, including captive advisory.
• Aon: Global insurance and reinsurance brokerage with deep middle-market and large-client practices in P&C, benefits, and captive consulting — broad incumbent comparable to Scott at the global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scottins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scott-insurance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Scott Insurance