McFarlan Rowlands

What McFarlan Rowlands does

McFarlan Rowlands Insurance Brokers Inc. is a Canadian insurance brokerage firm headquartered in London, Ontario, with 19 physical office locations across Southwestern Ontario and a staff complement of more than 200. Founded in 1896, the firm operates as a multi-line insurance broker and quote-shopping intermediary, aggregating policies from Canadian carriers including Heartland Mutual, Gore Mutual, Travelers, and Aviva to serve individual and business clients. Its product portfolio spans personal lines (auto, home, travel), commercial lines (business, small business, surety), specialty lines (farm), group/employee benefits, and life & investments, plus a Gold Private Client tier and dedicated support for mental health practitioners. Sub-brands Magenta, Medallion, and McFarlan Gold address segmented customer cohorts within the same distribution footprint.

The firm's technology stack centers on the MyMcFarlan client portal, which provides 24/7 access to policy information, electronic documents (including pink slips), change requests, claims submissions, and secure broker file-sharing via desktop and mobile, paired with an Applied Systems-powered online quote-request workflow integrated into the website. Distribution combines a 19-location physical broker network with digital quote acquisition and portal-based self-service for existing clients. Marketing emphasizes the 'personal shopper' value proposition, advertising potential customer savings of 10-20% on car insurance.

McFarlan Rowlands is indirectly owned by McDougall Insurance Brokers Limited, which is in turn majority-owned by Definity Financial Corporation (parent of Definity Insurance Company o/a Economical Insurance). The firm wholly owns DJE & Associates Inc., which integrates Sutherland Elliott Insurance Brokers, Gaiser Elliott Insurance Brokers, and Thames Financial into a unified Western Ontario brokerage platform. Revenue is generated primarily through carrier commissions on placed and renewed personal and commercial policies across the 19 offices and digital channels; no financial disclosures are publicly available.

Name

McFarlan Rowlands

Legal name

McFarlan Rowlands Insurance Brokers Inc.

Website

https://mcfarlanrowlands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

McFarlan Rowlands is a 19-location Southwestern Ontario insurance brokerage founded in 1896, shop aggregatng quotes from multiple Canadian carriers (Heartland Mutual, Gore Mutual, Travelers, Aviva) across personal, commercial, farm, group, and life lines for individuals and businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)

Keywords

• Insurance brokerage services
• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Personal lines insurance
• Farm insurance coverage
• Group employee benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: McFarlan Rowlands operates as an insurance intermediary, earning commissions from insurance companies for placing and renewing client policies. Commission disclosures are available for Personal Lines Auto, Personal Lines Property, Commercial Lines Auto, and Commercial Lines Property and Liability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

McFarlan Rowlands operates as an insurance broker and personal shopper, obtaining quotes from multiple top Canadian insurance companies and placing personal and commercial insurance coverage on behalf of clients. Core offerings include personal auto and home insurance, commercial and farm business insurance, group/employee benefits, life and investment products, travel insurance, mental health practitioner coverage, and a premium Gold Private Client service, supported by a 24/7 MyMcFarlan client portal.

Product overview

McFarlan Rowlands is a multi-line insurance brokerage operating across Southwestern Ontario with 19 locations. The company operates as an insurance shopping service, obtaining quotes from multiple top Canadian insurers to secure both optimal coverage and competitive pricing for clients. Their core product is their brokered insurance portfolio comprising personal lines (auto, home), commercial lines (business, farm), group benefits, life & investments, and specialty offerings including travel insurance and mental health support. They also maintain sub-brands (Magenta, Medallion) and a premium Gold Private Client service tier. The MyMcFarlan client portal provides 24/7 digital access to policies and documents, while their service model emphasizes broker-advocacy to find the best combination of product quality and price.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Medallion: Sub-brand under McFarlan Rowlands group
• Magenta
• McFarlan Gold

Products and services

• MyMcFarlan Client Portal A 24/7 self-service client portal allowing current McFarlan Rowlands clients to access policy information, view electronic policy documents (including pink slips), submit change requests or claims notices to their broker, and securely share files via desktop or mobile devices.
• Auto/Car Insurance Personal automobile insurance coverage sourced from multiple top Canadian insurance companies through McFarlan Rowlands as broker, intended for individual vehicle owners seeking the best combination of coverage and price.
• Home Insurance Homeowners insurance policies tailored to individual needs, shopped from multiple providers to find the best product and price combination for residential property owners.
• Business Insurance Commercial insurance coverage for businesses, including small business and general business protection across property, liability, business interruption, and surety bond lines, sourced through McFarlan Rowlands' broker relationships with multiple insurers.
• Farm Insurance Specialized insurance coverage for farm operations and agricultural risks, designed for farm owners and operators requiring coverages beyond standard commercial policies.
• Group Insurance Group insurance and employee benefit plans (including group life, group disability, and related benefits) for organizations across Western Ontario, marketed under the McFarlan Rowlands Groups product line.
• Life & Investments Life insurance and investment products designed to meet long-term financial planning needs for individuals, including wealth protection and retirement planning.
• Gold Private Client Premium insurance services for high net worth individuals and families requiring comprehensive, specialized coverage for high-value properties, luxury homes, and valuable assets, delivered with white-glove broker service.
• Travel Insurance Travel insurance coverage for individuals and families traveling domestically or internationally, sourced through McFarlan Rowlands' multi-carrier broker relationships.
• Mental Health Practitioner Insurance Specialized insurance coverage and dedicated contact options for mental health practitioners requiring professional liability and business coverage tailored to mental health practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Potential savings of 10-20% on car insurance

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DJE & Associates Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDJE & Associates Inc., owned and operated by McFarlan Rowlands Insurance Brokers Inc., includes Sutherland Elliott Insurance Brokers, Gaiser Elliott Insurance Brokers, and Thames Financial operating across Western Ontario.
• DJE & Associates Inc. (Sutherland Elliott, Gaiser Elliott, Thames Financial)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of respected brokerages operating across Western Ontario, built on strong client relationships, exceptional service, and deep community roots.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BrokerLink: Largest Canadian multi-line retail insurance brokerage, also operating as a multi-carrier broker across personal and commercial lines. Closely comparable business model to McFarlan Rowlands at larger national scale.
• Western Financial Group: Western Canada-based multi-line insurance and financial services brokerage with a similar multi-location, multi-carrier retail model serving personal and commercial customers — directly comparable in structure to McFarlan Rowlands' Southwestern Ontario footprint.
• Navacord: Canadian insurance brokerage consolidator acquiring regional brokerages across Canada. Operates the same brokerage-of-brokerages model as McDougall Insurance Group (McFarlan Rowlands' parent).
• Acera Insurance: Canadian regional insurance brokerage that has grown rapidly through acquisition of smaller brokerages — same roll-up strategy, multi-line offering, and multi-carrier brokerage model as McFarlan Rowlands and its parent McDougall Group.
• Hub International: Large North American insurance brokerage with significant Canadian operations across personal and commercial lines. Comparable as a multi-line retail and commercial broker with multi-carrier distribution.
• Westland Insurance: Western Canada-based multi-line insurance brokerage serving personal, commercial, farm, and group customers through a network of branches — a direct comparable to McFarlan Rowlands' regional multi-line brokerage model.

Broad incumbents

• Marsh Canada: Canadian arm of Marsh McLennan, one of the world's largest insurance brokers and risk advisors. Comparable in intermediation function across commercial and personal lines, though skewed toward large commercial accounts.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with substantial Canadian operations. Comparable as a multi-line insurance intermediary with personal and commercial offerings, though operating at much larger global scale than McFarlan Rowlands.
• Aon Canada: Canadian operations of Aon plc, a global professional services firm with significant insurance brokerage and risk management offerings. Comparable broker intermediation model, though typically serving larger enterprise accounts than McFarlan Rowlands.

Emerging players

• Mitch Insurance: Canadian digital-first insurance broker offering personal auto, home, and other coverages through an online platform. Represents the emerging direct/digital broker model that competes for the same Southwestern Ontario personal lines customers McFarlan Rowlands serves via its broker-shopper model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mcfarlanrowlandsins
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/mcfarlan-rowlands-insurance-brokers-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcfarlan_rowlands/?hl=en
• Xx.com/McFarlanRowland

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 McFarlan Rowlands