The DBL Center

What The DBL Center does

The DBL Center (legal name The D.B.L. Center LTD.) is a wholesale insurance general agency founded in 1976 and headquartered in Melville, NY, operating as a subsidiary of Alera Group. The company distributes statutory disability insurance (NYS DBL, NJ TDB, Hawaii TDI), state Paid Family & Medical Leave coverage across 13 states, and a suite of ancillary group benefits (group life/AD&D, long-term disability, dental, vision, voluntary worksite benefits including critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance). Its only direct customers are licensed insurance brokers—both P&C and Life & Health—who in turn serve employer clients; the company does not sell directly to employers. Distribution is exclusively wholesale through a network of more than 4,000 independent brokers nationwide, supported by 12+ carrier partnerships (Unum, Lincoln Financial, The Hartford, Ameritas, Guardian, Arch, Principal, Standard, ShelterPoint, Sun Life, Standard Security Insurance, MetLife) and two wholly-owned operating brands, EZTDB and DBL Advantage.

Revenue is generated entirely on a transaction-fee (commission) basis: DBL Center earns commissions on policies bound by brokers through its platform, with elevated commission rates on statutory lines and voluntary worksite products. The proprietary Net Revenue Tracker dashboard and accompanying mobile app provide brokers with real-time policy administration, commission tracking, and revenue management tools, functioning as the operational backbone of the broker relationship rather than a public-facing technology product. Forward growth has come from three levers: product-line expansion (e.g., voluntary worksite benefits launched August 2021 with dedicated sales leadership), geographic expansion into new PFML states, and tuck-in acquisitions such as DBL Advantage.

Name

The DBL Center

Legal name

The D.B.L. Center LTD.

Website

https://insurancewholesaler.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The DBL Center is a wholesale insurance general agency founded in 1976 that distributes statutory disability insurance, state Paid Family & Medical Leave coverage across 13 states, and ancillary group benefits exclusively through a network of 4,000+ independent brokers nationwide, operating as a subsidiary of Alera Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Employee Benefits & Disability)

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Key Person Disability Insurance (FSAIAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medicare Plan Distribution & Brokerage (Captive, Independent, FMOs) (FSAIAGAH), Dental Benefit Administration (DBA) & ASO/TPA for Dental (HLAEAIAJ)

Keywords

• Wholesale insurance agency
• Statutory disability insurance
• Paid family leave
• Ancillary group benefits
• Disability benefits law

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: The DBL Center generates revenue through commissions earned on insurance policies sold through its network of over 4,000 insurance brokers. The company offers higher commissions to brokers for statutory disability insurance (DBL, TDB, TDI), paid family leave, and ancillary benefits including group life, long-term disability, dental, vision, and voluntary worksite benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The DBL Center is a wholesale insurance general agency that distributes statutory disability insurance (New York DBL, New Jersey TDB, Hawaii TDI), state-mandated Paid Family and Medical Leave coverage across 13 states, and ancillary employee benefits (group life/AD&D, long-term disability, dental, vision, voluntary worksite benefits, critical illness, accident, Medicare Advantage) to a network of more than 4,000 independent insurance brokers across the United States. Revenue is generated primarily through commissions on policies bound via carrier partners including Unum, Lincoln Financial Group, The Hartford, Ameritas, Guardian, Arch Insurance, Principal Financial Group, Standard, ShelterPoint, Sun Life, and MetLife. The Net Revenue Tracker Dashboard and mobile app serve as the proprietary technology layer for broker onboarding, policy management, and commission tracking.

Product overview

The DBL Center is a wholesale insurance general agency offering a comprehensive suite of statutory disability and paid family leave insurance products alongside ancillary group benefits. The core product portfolio centers on mandatory state disability insurance (DBL in New York, TDB in New Jersey, TDI in Hawaii) and state Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) programs across 13 states. The company's proprietary Net Revenue Tracker Dashboard serves as the broker-facing technology platform for policy management and commission tracking. The product lineup includes statutory coverage (NYS DBL, Enriched DBL, NJ TDB, Hawaii TDI), supplemental products (Group Life/AD&D, Long Term Disability, Dental, Vision), voluntary worksite benefits (Life Insurance, Disability Income, Critical Illness, Accident), and newer additions like Medicare Advantage Plans. The modular architecture allows brokers to bundle statutory coverage with ancillary benefits to create comprehensive employee benefit packages for clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NYS DBL (Disability Benefits Law) Short-term statutory disability insurance coverage required by New York State law, providing wage replacement to employees who are unable to work due to non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. Distributed to employer clients through independent insurance brokers.
• Enriched DBL Enhanced version of New York statutory DBL that supplements the state-mandated minimum benefit with higher benefit amounts and broader coverage, allowing employers to offer richer disability benefits than required by law.
• NJ TDB (Temporary Disability Benefits) Mandatory temporary disability insurance for New Jersey employers, providing wage replacement to employees for non-work-related disabilities through state-approved private insurance carriers.
• Hawaii TDI (Temporary Disability Insurance) Wage replacement insurance mandated by Hawaii law, providing up to 26 weeks of benefits to eligible employees for non-work-related injury, sickness, or pregnancy, distributed through The DBL Center's broker network.
• NY State Paid Family Leave Paid family leave insurance providing wage replacement to New York employees taking leave to bond with a new child, care for a seriously ill family member, or address needs related to a family member's military deployment.
• State Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) Mandatory paid family and medical leave insurance offered across 13 U.S. states (Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington) with private insured options where available.
• Group Life Insurance / AD&D Ancillary group benefit providing employer-sponsored life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage to employees.
• Long Term Disability Insurance Insurance coverage providing income replacement to employees for extended periods of disability beyond short-term statutory coverage limits.
• Group Dental Benefits Group dental insurance coverage offered to employer clients as part of an ancillary employee benefits package via the firm's broker network.
• Group Vision Coverage Group vision insurance coverage offered as an ancillary employee benefit distributed through the broker network.
• Critical Illness Insurance Insurance providing a lump-sum or scheduled cash benefit upon diagnosis of specified critical illnesses, expanding the voluntary worksite benefits portfolio offered to employer clients through The DBL Center's broker network.
• Accident Insurance Accident insurance product providing cash benefits to insured employees for specified injuries and accident-related medical events, sold through the broker network.
• Medicare Advantage Plans Medicare Advantage insurance products offered through licensed brokers, extending The DBL Center's portfolio beyond statutory disability and ancillary employee benefits.
• Net Revenue Tracker Dashboard (Broker Platform) Proprietary broker dashboard providing real-time access to client policy information, commission tracking, and revenue management tools, accessible via web and companion mobile app by member insurance brokers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 brokers served nationwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• Unum InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop insurance carrier partner providing statutory disability and ancillary benefit products through The DBL Center's broker network.
• Lincoln Financial Group (LFG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey carrier partner for disability insurance products and services offered through DBL Center's broker distribution network.
• The HartfordcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor insurance carrier partner offering statutory disability and employee benefits products through DBL Center's wholesale network. Partnered for Vermont PFML program as chosen insurance vendor.
• AmeritascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner providing dental and other ancillary benefit products through the DBL Center broker network.
• GuardiancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarrier partner offering enriched DBL and other employee benefit insurance products through DBL Center's wholesale distribution.
• Arch InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccident & Health division partnership providing statutory disability and paid family leave coverage through the broker network.
• Principal Financial GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner offering group benefits and retirement products through DBL Center's broker distribution channel.
• StandardsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarrier partner providing insurance products through DBL Center's wholesale network.
• ShelterPoint LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFormerly First Rehabilitation Life, founded in 1972. Key carrier for NY statutory DBL, enriched DBL, and ancillary benefits. Predominantly small group business under 100 lives.
• Sun LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor insurance carrier partner offering disability and employee benefits products through DBL Center's broker network.
• Standard Security InsurancesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarrier partner providing insurance products through DBL Center's wholesale network.
• MetLifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChosen insurance vendor for New Hampshire PFML program meeting state business needs within regulations set by the state.
• Steiner SportssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partnership providing once-in-a-lifetime sports and celebrity experiences as rewards for top-performing DBL Center brokers.
• Friars' ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing entertainment and celebrity experiences for DBL Center's broker appreciation events and reward programs.
• Alera GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of The DBL Center, an Alera Group Company, providing organizational backing and resources for the wholesale insurance operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OneDigital: OneDigital is one of the largest U.S. employee-benefits-focused insurance brokerages combining technology with advisory and specialty benefit placement. It directly competes with The DBL Center for placement of disability, paid family leave, and ancillary group benefits via brokers and employer clients.
• Burnham Benefits: Burnham Benefits is a specialty employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm focused on mid-market employer benefit programs, including group disability and statutory paid leave — a strong comparable niche operator with similar broker-led distribution.
• Holmes Murphy: Holmes Murphy is a privately held insurance brokerage specializing in employee benefits, commercial insurance, and risk management, with deep expertise in group disability and statutory benefits placement — highly comparable in product mix and broker-driven distribution.

Broad incumbents

• USI Insurance Services: USI is a top-10 U.S. insurance brokerage with a substantial employee benefits practice serving middle-market and large employers. Overlap with The DBL Center in disability, PFL, and ancillary benefits placement, but operating at vastly larger scale and broader line breadth.
• Brown & Brown: Brown & Brown is a diversified national insurance brokerage and distributor (NYSE: BRO) with significant employee benefits and wholesale operations. Competes indirectly with The DBL Center via retail benefits brokerages and Programs unit carrier relationships.
• Hub International: Hub International is a large North American insurance brokerage with an extensive employee benefits practice and significant wholesale/career-broker channel exposure, making it a relevant incumbent competitor in statutory and group benefits placement.
• NFP (an Aon company): NFP is a large insurance brokerage and benefits consulting platform recently acquired by Aon, with deep U.S. middle-market group benefits and disability practice. Comparable broker-channel position to The DBL Center but at significantly larger scale and broader product breadth.

Others

• Sun Life Financial: Sun Life is one of The DBL Center's named carrier partners and a top U.S. group benefits carrier writing disability and stop-loss. It is simultaneously a partnership counterparty and a competitive supplier to brokers, placing it adjacent to the company rather than a direct competitor.
• MetLife: MetLife is a major U.S. group benefits carrier and a named DBL Center carrier partner (chosen vendor for NH PFML). Comparable on disability/PFL product carrier side but does not directly compete as a wholesale general agency.

Emerging players

• The Cobalt Group (BenefitsHub): BenefitsHub and similar benefits marketplace/wholesale platforms enable brokers to compare carrier rates for statutory disability, PFL, and ancillary benefits online. Comparable emerging broker-portal model to The DBL Center's Net Revenue Tracker concept.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EZTDB1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 The DBL Center