BHS Insurance

What BHS Insurance does

BHS Insurance (legal name: Berends Hendricks Stuit Insurance) is a privately-held independent insurance brokerage founded in 1939 and headquartered in Grand Rapids/Grandville, Michigan. It is described as one of the largest full-service, independently owned insurance agencies in the Midwest, operating with 101-250 employees. The firm delivers a multi-line product portfolio spanning personal insurance (auto, homeowners, renters, umbrella, travel, health/life/dental, Medicare, flood, condo, pet), business insurance (commercial coverages, risk management, claims management, HR support, captive insurance), employee benefits (technology solutions, payroll assistance, wellness, ACA compliance, HR support), and 401k/financial services consulting (fiduciary compliance, investment analysis, plan design, benchmarking). It also offers specialized advisory for mergers and acquisitions transactions.

The company monetizes through commissions earned on policies placed with a network of multiple insurance carriers, functioning as an independent broker rather than a captive agent. Its GTM motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, delivered via licensed agents across toll-free (800-350-7676), local (616-531-1900), and in-person channels, supplemented by online quote requests powered by XILO. The offering is supported by technology integrations including Zywave (BHS University / MyWave) for client education, Employee Navigator for benefits administration, and Kestra Investment Services for the 401k/financial services line, providing regulatory-compliant securities and advisory capabilities. Pricing is quote-based with monthly billing cadence; no public pricing or tier structures are disclosed.

BHS targets three primary customer segments: individuals and families (personal lines), businesses ranging from SMB to mid-market commercial (business insurance), and employers (employee benefits and retirement plan consulting). Its value proposition emphasizes long-tenured local ownership, personalized service over transactional interactions, and IIABA "Best Practices Agency" status, a designation held by only a small fraction of nominated U.S. agencies. The firm has expanded over time through organic product line extension (captive insurance, M&A advisory, 401k consulting) and partnerships with carriers and technology providers, while remaining founder/family-influenced under private ownership.

Name

BHS Insurance

Legal name

Berends Hendricks Stuit Insurance

Website

https://bhsins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BHS Insurance is a privately-held independent insurance brokerage founded in 1939 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, providing personal, business, and employee benefits coverage plus 401k consulting to individuals, businesses, and employers across the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Flexible Benefits Administration (FSA/HSA/HRA) (HLAEALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Self-Funded (ERISA) Employer Plans (HLAEAAAC), Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability (FSAJADAF), Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance (FSAIAIAD), Group/Employer-Sponsored Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity (FSAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Personal insurance coverage
• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Employee benefits administration
• 401k retirement consulting
• Independent insurance agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Grandville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: BHS Insurance operates as an independent insurance broker/agency earning commissions from multiple insurance carriers. The company provides access to various insurance products including personal insurance (auto, homeowners, renters, umbrella, travel, health, life, dental, Medicare, flood, condo, pet), business insurance, employee benefits, and 401k consulting services. Revenue is generated through commissions on insurance policies placed with carrier partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BHS Insurance operates as an independent insurance broker placing personal, commercial, employee benefits, and 401k retirement plan coverage for clients through multiple carrier partners. The company provides personalized agent-led service with online quoting tools, risk management, claims support, HR compliance assistance, and fiduciary retirement plan consulting to individuals, families, and businesses primarily in the Grand Rapids, Michigan market with nationwide reach through carrier relationships.

Product overview

BHS Insurance (Berends Hendricks Stuit Insurance) is an independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive suite of insurance and financial services. The company operates as a multi-product insurance broker providing personal insurance (auto, homeowners, renters, umbrella, travel, health/life/dental, Medicare, flood, condo, and pet), business insurance (covering industries, coverages, risk management, claims management, HR support, and captive insurance), employee benefits (innovative solutions, payroll assistance, wellness, compliance, HR support), and 401k/financial services (fiduciary compliance, investment analysis, plan design, benchmarking). The company also provides client tools including Zywave/BHS University, Employee Navigator, and online quote generation through XILO. The firm serves the Grand Rapids area with a locally-owned broker model offering nationwide reach through carrier partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Insurance

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Multiple Insurance CarrierscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBHS Insurance operates as an independent broker with relationships with multiple insurance carriers. The company lists carrier partners under the Client Tools section (carriers page), providing clients access to diverse insurance products across personal, commercial, and employee benefits lines. These partnerships enable BHS to match clients with optimal coverage options from competing carriers.
• Kestra Investment ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationBHS Financial Services offers securities through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. This partnership supports BHS's 401k consulting and financial services offerings with regulatory-compliant securities and investment advisory capabilities.
• Selective InsuranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelective Insurance is referenced as a partner providing insurance products and content for BHS's educational resources. BHS agents can help clients secure flood insurance and other coverage through Selective Insurance, and Selective provides content for BHS's blog resources on topics like winter preparation and flood insurance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Acrisure: Grand Rapids-headquartered independent insurance broker that has scaled via aggressive M&A across personal, commercial, and benefits lines. Most direct peer given shared hometown, independent broker DNA, and multi-product platform.
• Brown & Brown: National independent insurance brokerage distributing personal, commercial, and employee benefits products through decentralized offices. Closely comparable business model of multi-carrier agency commissions and decentralized regional offices.
• HUB International: Large North American insurance brokerage offering personal, commercial, and employee benefits through regional offices. Comparable multi-line, multi-carrier broker with explicit regional operating model.
• Leavitt Group: Privately held, family-owned independent insurance agency network headquartered in Cedar City, Utah, with a similar decentralized regional model offering personal, commercial, and benefits across multiple states. Closely matches BHS's scale and ownership posture.
• USI Insurance Services: National middle-market insurance brokerage and benefits consultant. Comparable mid-market commercial and employee benefits focus, with an explicit roll-up growth strategy that mirrors BHS's Preferred Benefits acquisition.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher: Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with retail brokerage, benefits, and consulting. Operates in the same space at vastly larger scale, with a Midwest retail brokerage segment directly comparable to BHS's commercial and benefits practice.
• Marsh McLennan: Global professional services firm with Marsh brokerage and Mercer benefits consulting. Competes for the same mid-market and large commercial accounts BHS serves, though with substantially broader advisory and reinsurance capabilities.

Regional players

• IMA Financial Group: Denver-based independent insurance brokerage offering commercial, personal, and benefits with an employee-ownership structure. Comparable independent broker model with similar mid-market regional concentration.
• TrueNorth Companies: Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based independent insurance, benefits, and financial services firm. Comparable Midwest independent agency offering the same personal/commercial/benefits/retirement bundle to similar SMB and mid-market clients.

Emerging players

• Hilb Group: PE-backed insurance brokerage rapidly consolidating regional agencies across the eastern US. Comparable in size and growth-via-acquisition strategy, though geographically distinct from BHS's Midwest footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BHS_Ins
• Facebookfacebook.com/BHSInsurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berends-hendricks-stuit-insurance-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about BHS Insurance