Ohio Insurance Agents Association

What Ohio Insurance Agents Association does

Ohio Insurance Agents Association (OIA) is a member-driven non-profit trade association, founded in 1897 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, that represents nearly 1,000 independent insurance agencies employing approximately 10,000 Ohioans — collectively writing 86% of commercial and 44% of personal insurance in the state. OIA's functional role spans legislative and regulatory advocacy at state and federal levels, continuing-education and professional designation delivery, market access via the Independent Market Solutions (IMS) program (established 2007), agency valuation and perpetuation consulting, E&O and workers' compensation insurance programs, and an HR solutions bundle covering compensation surveys, job boards, and internship pipelines.

The organization operates a community-led go-to-market motion. Its core technology stack centers on the Learning Portal at learning.ohioinsuranceagents.com — an LMS with on-demand CE courses, live webinar delivery (Webinar Wednesdays), pre-licensing programs, and designations including AILP, CIC, CISR, and CPIA — complemented by the Agency Link member portal and an e-commerce course catalog. The IMS platform facilitates subcoded agency access to 20+ carrier partners (Platinum/Gold/Silver tiers, including Amwins, Donegal, Foremost, AFSI/Amtrust, and Arlington/Roe). OIA also owns IntellAgents, LLC (wholly owned, 2018), a multi-state data analytics venture with co-investors FAIA, III, MAIA, MAIC, and IAB Penn, and holds a majority interest in Indium (2019, formerly MarketSource Agency Network), a market-access provider covering nearly 400 agency partners across 10 states with $50 million in written premium.

Revenue derives from four streams: recurring annual membership dues, unit-priced education ($15-$105 per course for members and non-members), tiered company partner sponsorships, and market access / IMS fees. Strategic partnerships include national affiliation with Big I (Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America), a content partnership with Greater Cincinnati Insurance Board (GCIB) for P&C pre-licensing, a WAHVE staffing partnership (50% member discount on start-up fees), and a Caliper human-capital analytics tie-up. The organization was recognized as a 2021 "Best Workplaces in Ohio" honoree by Ohio Business Magazine, and is navigating a 2025 CEO transition from Jeff Smith, JD, CIC, CAE to Joe Fullenkamp alongside a sustained product expansion cadence.

Name

Ohio Insurance Agents Association

Legal name

Ohio Insurance Agents Association, Inc.

Website

https://ohioinsuranceagents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ohio Insurance Agents Association is a 1897-founded Ohio non-profit trade association representing nearly 1,000 independent insurance agencies, delivering advocacy, continuing education, market access (IMS), HR solutions, and analytics through subsidiaries IntellAgents and Indium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Trade Association Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Other Insurance Funds (52519), Other Insurance Related Activities (52429)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance Leads, Introducers & Referral Networks (FSAEAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms (FSAGAGAL)

Keywords

• Insurance trade association
• Independent insurance agents
• Continuing insurance education
• Market access solutions
• Insurance advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from nearly 1,000 independent insurance agencies. OIA Dues Deductibility information is provided for tax purposes.
2. Education and Training Programs: Continuing education courses, pre-licensing programs, and designation programs offered through the learning portal with course fees ranging from $15 to $105 for members.
3. Company Partner Sponsorships: Platinum, Gold, and Silver tier company partner sponsorships providing market access, company relationships, and sponsorship revenue.
4. Market Access Programs: Independent Market Solutions (IMS) program providing member agencies access to quality insurance markets through negotiated contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ohio Insurance Agents Association is a non-profit trade association that represents nearly 1,000 independent insurance agencies in Ohio, providing them with advocacy, professional development through an online Learning Portal (continuing education, pre-licensing, designations), market access via the Independent Market Solutions (IMS) program, business consulting including valuation and perpetuation services, E&O and workers' compensation insurance programs, and HR solutions. Operations are funded through agency membership dues, course fees, and tiered carrier company partner sponsorships.

Product overview

OIA provides a comprehensive suite of products and services for independent insurance agents in Ohio. The core offerings include the Learning Portal (an online education platform providing CE courses, on-demand training, pre-licensing, and professional designations), Agency Link (member portal), and Independent Market Solutions (IMS) for market access to carriers. Additional services encompass Business Consulting, Errors and Omissions Insurance, Market Access Solutions, Valuation and Perpetuation services including the R.I.S.E. Report, Workers' Compensation Program, and HR Solutions. The association also facilitates connections with company partners and provides advocacy, networking events (including IACON26), and industry thought leadership. Key technology partnerships include Indium for market access solutions and IntellAgents (data analytics company) for business intelligence insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Learning Portal Online education platform delivering continuing education (CE) courses, on-demand training, pre-licensing courses, designations (including AILP), and new hire training for insurance professionals.
• Independent Market Solutions (IMS) Market access program providing subcoded access to Ohio-domiciled, regional, and national insurance carriers for member agencies, enabling them to write business with multiple carriers through negotiated contracts.
• Property & Casualty Pre-Licensing Course 40-hour hybrid learning experience meeting Ohio Department of Insurance pre-licensing requirements, delivered in partnership with the Greater Cincinnati Insurance Board with live instruction and self-paced study.
• Agency Link Member Portal Member portal providing access to exclusive resources, company partner listings, and member services for independent insurance agencies.
• Business Consulting Consulting services for independent insurance agencies to improve operations and business performance, including agency valuation and perpetuation support.
• Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance E&O insurance coverage specifically designed to protect member agencies against professional liability claims.
• Workers' Compensation Program Workers' compensation insurance program for agencies and their clients with claims management and safety training features.
• Valuation and Perpetuation Services Agency valuation and succession planning services including the R.I.S.E. benchmarking report to help owners understand agency worth and plan ownership transitions.
• HR Solutions Suite Suite of HR services including Agency Compensation 360 (compensation survey), HR Advisory Services, OIA Job Board, Independent Insurance Agency Careers platform, and Summer Internship Program.
• IntellAgents Data Analytics First-of-its-kind analytics-driven organization providing actionable insights and benchmarking for independent agents, including the R.I.S.E. Report covering agency health and millennial retention.
• OIA Membership Annual membership program providing independent insurance agencies with advocacy, professional development, business solutions including market access, valuation and perpetuation, HR solutions, and industry thought leadership.
• Company Partner Sponsorship Program Platinum, Gold, and Silver tier sponsorship program providing carrier companies market access to OIA member agencies and brand visibility at events like IACON.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indium (formerly MarketSource Agency Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Market access provider founded in 2005 out of OIA. OIA purchased majority interest in 2019. Supports nearly 400 agency partners across 10 states with $50 million in written premium. Provides technology, training resources, and market access solutions.
• IntellAgents, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Data analytics company created by OIA in 2018. First-of-its-kind analytics-driven organization specializing in actionable insights for independent agents. Products available in Ohio and multiple other states. Investors include FAIA, III, MAIA, MAIC, IAB Penn.
• Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big I)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation with Big I providing access to national advocacy efforts, legislative conferences, technology resources, and professional development programs. OIA is proudly affiliated with Independent Insurance Agents.
• Greater Cincinnati Insurance Board (GCIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Property & Casualty pre-licensing courses meeting Ohio Department of Insurance's 40-hour requirement with hybrid learning format combining live instruction and self-paced study.
• WAHVE (Work at Home Vintage Experts)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStaffing solution providing tech-savvy pre-retirement insurance professionals with 25+ years experience working remotely. OIA members receive 50% discount on WAHVE start-up fee. Covers E&O insurance and worker's compensation.
• CaliperminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHuman capital analytics company providing personality profiling assessments for hiring and retention. Big I members receive discounts on Caliper assessments.
• Company Partners (Carriers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatinum, Gold, and Silver tier company partners including Amwins, Arlington/Roe, Donegal Insurance Group, Foremost, AFSI/Amtrust, and others providing market access and sponsorship support to independent agents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big I): National federation of which OIA is a state affiliate; directly comparable as the apex trade association for independent insurance agents in the US, providing advocacy, education, and shared technology resources to its state members.
• Professional Insurance Agents (PIA): National trade association competing for the same independent agent membership base with overlapping advocacy, education, and carrier-market-access offerings; a direct parallel to OIA's mission at the national level.
• Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA): State-level Big I affiliate comparable to OIA in structure and services; an IntellAgents investor, making it both a peer association and a strategic partner through shared analytics infrastructure.
• Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA): State-level independent agent association offering the same suite of advocacy, education, market access, and HR services; comparable to OIA at the state level and also an IntellAgents investor.

Broad incumbents

• Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB): Trade association representing the largest commercial insurance brokers and agents globally; broader incumbent serving a different (larger-firm) segment but operating in the same agent-and-broker advocacy and education category.

Regional players

• Independent Insurance Agents of Kentucky (IIAK): Neighboring state-level Big I affiliate serving independent agents in Kentucky with comparable membership, advocacy, and education programs; a useful regional comparable.

Others

• Marsh Berry & Company: Consulting and M&A advisory firm specializing in insurance agency valuations, perpetuation planning, and benchmarking; comparable because OIA's Business Planning & Valuation service (led by a former Marsh Berry consultant) directly competes in this niche.
• Applied Systems: Leading provider of agency management systems and insurance technology to independent agents; comparable as a technology-enabled ecosystem participant serving the same independent agent base that OIA represents.
• Insurance Journal: Industry media and content platform serving independent and retail insurance agents; comparable as a thought-leadership and education channel competing for the same audience attention OIA's content programs target.

Emerging players

• Zywave: Insurance analytics and content platform for agents and brokers; comparable to OIA's IntellAgents subsidiary in offering benchmarking and business intelligence tools to independent agencies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ohioinsagents
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCM58HKibTtgzZzVwj-1loog
• Facebookfacebook.com/OhioInsuranceAgents
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-insurance-agents
• Instagraminstagram.com/ohioinsuranceagents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Ohio Insurance Agents Association