Kunkel & Associates, Inc.
Kunkel & Associates is a privately held commercial insurance brokerage serving clients across transportation, commercial property and casualty, employee benefits, and personal lines from offices in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Kansas, supplemented by HR consulting, safety services, and nurse-led healthcare navigation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersDubuque, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kunkel & Associates, Inc. does
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. is a privately held commercial insurance brokerage and consulting firm founded in July 2003 by Tim Kunkel and headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. Following founder Tim Kunkel's death in April 2013, Jason Knockel, who joined the firm in 2006, was appointed CEO and continues to lead the company. Kunkel operates from three offices — Dubuque, Iowa (corporate headquarters); Oregon, Wisconsin (Madison area); and Overland Park, Kansas (Kansas City market) — and serves clients across more than 40 U.S. states.
The firm's core product portfolio is organized around three primary insurance lines — transportation/fleet, commercial property and casualty, and employee benefits — supplemented by personal lines for individuals and families. Beyond brokerage commissions, Kunkel generates revenue through professional services including human resources consulting, safety and loss control consulting, nurse-led medical management under the Kunkel Care Solutions (KCS) sub-brand, and an online driver training subscription powered by CarriersEdge with tiered per-driver pricing. The KCS unit delivers case management, utilization review, prior authorization, and nurse advocacy to self-funded employers, staffed by registered nurses with 15-20+ years of clinical experience. Supporting platforms include a client portal (CSR24) for certificate and policy management, a benefits compliance tool with attorney-reviewed HR resources, an employee enrollment and communication portal, and member advocacy services.
Kunkel's go-to-market is sales-led with dedicated account managers, account executives, and client service representatives supporting mid-market commercial and transportation clients alongside benefits consulting. Distribution relationships span more than 50 transportation insurance carriers plus Sentry, Secura, Avant, and ICW, whose advisory boards include Kunkel executives. The firm employs roughly 11-50 people, has been named one of Iowa's Top Workplaces for nine consecutive years (most recently placing in the Top 20 small businesses), was recognized as 1st Best Place to Work in Dubuque by the Telegraph Herald and Dubuque Chamber of Commerce, and received the 2023 Sentry Agency of Excellence award.
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kunkel & Associates, Inc.
- Legal name
- Kunkel & Associates, Inc.
- Website
- https://kunkel-inc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kunkel & Associates is a privately held commercial insurance brokerage serving clients across transportation, commercial property and casualty, employee benefits, and personal lines from offices in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Kansas, supplemented by HR consulting, safety services, and nurse-led healthcare navigation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Insurance Brokerage
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- SIC
- Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ)
Keywords
Where Kunkel & Associates, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubuque
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Brokerage Commissions: As a commercial insurance brokerage, Kunkel & Associates earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing coverage. The company works with over 50 transportation insurance companies and various property & casualty and employee benefits carriers.
- Professional Services: Revenue generated from consulting services including human resource consulting, safety and loss control services, medical management, claims management, and nurse advocacy programs.
- Online Driver Training Subscriptions: Monthly subscription fees for online driver training platform powered by CarriersEdge, with tiered pricing based on fleet size (flat rate for small fleets, per-driver pricing for larger fleets).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Small fleets (10 drivers or less) |
| Per seat | Monthly | Mid-size fleets (11-199 drivers) |
| Per seat | Monthly | Large fleets (200+ drivers) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kunkel & Associates is a commercial insurance brokerage and consulting firm that places coverage with over 50 transportation and commercial insurance carriers on behalf of clients. The firm operates across transportation/fleet insurance, commercial property and casualty, employee benefits, and personal lines, supplemented by value-added professional services such as HR consulting, safety and loss control, and a nurse-led healthcare navigation offering called Kunkel Care Solutions.
Product overview
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. is a commercial insurance brokerage and consulting firm offering a multi-line portfolio organized around three core products — Transportation Insurance, Commercial Insurance, and Employee Benefits — supplemented by Personal Lines Insurance for individuals and families. Specialized add-on modules include Kunkel Care Solutions (nurse-led case management, nurse advocacy, and utilization review), Online Driver Training (powered by CarriersEdge), Human Resource Consulting, Safety Services, a Benefits Compliance Tool, an Employee Enrollment and Communication Portal, and Member Advocacy services. The company operates primarily in the transportation, property and casualty, and employee benefits fields, serving clients nationwide from offices in Dubuque, IA (corporate), Oregon, WI, and Overland Park, KS.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kunkel Care Solutions (KCS): A coordinated suite of healthcare services including case management, nurse advocacy, and utilization review, led by registered nurses to help members make informed healthcare decisions and help employers manage costs.
Products and services
- Transportation Insurance
Quantifiable outcome
- 39% annual savings on insurance premiums achieved for a 90-unit motor carrier through improved safety performance (reduced FMCSA scores from 4 elevated to 0)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kunkel & Associates, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- CarriersEdgecoreKunkel & Associates Online Driver Training is powered by CarriersEdge, providing interactive online training for transportation fleets. The partnership delivers driver training content, management and reporting tools, and mobile access for driver training programs. Kunkel rebrand CarriersEdge's platform for their transportation insurance clients.
- Sentry InsuranceflagshipSentry Insurance is a key carrier partner providing transportation and commercial insurance products. Sentry has recognized Kunkel & Associates with Agency of Excellence and Producer of Excellence awards, indicating a strong strategic relationship.
- Secura InsurancecoreSecura Insurance is an insurance carrier partner. Chet Medinger serves on Secura's Iowa President's Advisory Council.
- AvantcoreInsurance carrier partner with an Agency Advisory Board that Chet Medinger serves on.
- ICW GroupcoreInsurance carrier partner with an Agency Advisory Board that Chet Medinger serves on.
- 50+ Transportation Insurance CarrierscoreKunkel maintains direct market relationships with more than 50 transportation insurance companies enabling tailored coverage solutions for trucking and fleet clients.
- Third Party Administrators and Health Insurance CarrierscoreThe employee benefits division develops direct relationships with third party administrators, health insurance carriers, and other benefit service providers to manage high-cost areas including fraud, prescription drugs, and disease management.
- UnityPoint Health - Finley HospitalminorJason Knockel serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors at UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital, indicating a governance and advisory relationship.
- Clarke UniversityminorJason Knockel serves on the Board of Directors at Clarke University. Jason obtained his BA in Business Administration from Clarke University.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kunkel & Associates, Inc.
What does Kunkel & Associates, Inc. do?
Kunkel & Associates is a commercial insurance brokerage and consulting firm that places coverage with over 50 transportation and commercial insurance carriers on behalf of clients. The firm operates across transportation/fleet insurance, commercial property and casualty, employee benefits, and personal lines, supplemented by value-added professional services such as HR consulting, safety and loss control, and a nurse-led healthcare navigation offering called Kunkel Care Solutions.
Is Kunkel & Associates, Inc. a public or private company?
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kunkel & Associates, Inc. founded?
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kunkel & Associates, Inc. based?
Kunkel & Associates, Inc. is headquartered in Dubuque, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kunkel & Associates, Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Insurance Brokerage Commissions are the primary driver. The others are professional Services and online Driver Training Subscriptions.
Does Kunkel & Associates, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kunkel & Associates, Inc..
What industry is Kunkel & Associates, Inc. in?
Kunkel & Associates, Inc.'s product category is Commercial Insurance Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEADAJ, Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines). Its NAICS code is 52421 and its SIC code is 6331.