Sylvia Group

What Sylvia Group does

Sylvia Group is an independent insurance agency founded in 1950 by Louis G. Sylvia and headquartered in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The firm operates from two Massachusetts offices (Dartmouth and Norwell) and has been a subsidiary of the national insurance and financial services firm Alera Group since 2020. The agency delivers three core service lines: business insurance (commercial property/casualty, workers compensation, specialty programs for nonprofits and property developers/managers), personal insurance (auto, homeowners, life), and employee benefits (health and welfare, retirement plan consulting, benefits administration technology, compliance, and data analytics). The firm employs approximately 50 professionals and serves clients across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and beyond, with documented depth in the nonprofit segment (80+ organizations insured) and property developer/manager niche.

The underlying technology stack is conventional for an independent brokerage: multi-carrier partnerships, a Vertafore-based client portal, and standardized CRM workflows. Sylvia Group's proprietary differentiator is the Sylvia Protection System (SPS), a branded four-step process (analysis, planning, coordination, implementation) that the firm uses to position clients as active participants in risk and premium management. The agency also offers claims advocacy specialists and a 'Playbook Process' for benefits strategy, plus an in-house Data Analytics module for claims and utilization reporting.

Commercially, Sylvia Group earns revenue primarily through insurance carrier commissions on placed business, supplemented by fees for employee benefits consulting, retirement plan advisory, and benefits administration. Pricing is quote-based and customized to client risk profiles, billed typically on a monthly cadence. The go-to-market is sales-led through a team of account executives, account managers, and producers supported by referral networks built over 70+ years and the Alera Group national platform. Distribution combines direct field sales, a self-serve client portal, and multi-carrier reselling.

Name

Sylvia Group

Legal name

Sylvia Group

Website

https://sylviagroup.aleragroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sylvia Group is an independent insurance agency and Alera Group subsidiary providing business, personal, and employee benefits insurance to nonprofits, property developers, businesses, and individuals across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage and Employee Benefits Consulting

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Health and Welfare Funds (525120)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Funded (ASO) Group Health Plans & Stop-Loss (FSAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Large Group Health Insurance (Mid-Market & National Accounts) (FSAIAFAE), Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100) (FSAIAFAD), Group Term Life Insurance (FSAIAAAJ), Flexible Benefits Administration (FSA/HSA/HRA) (HLAEALAK)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Personal insurance services
• Employee benefits consulting
• Independent insurance agency
• Risk management advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Dartmouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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 Commissions: As an independent insurance agency, Sylvia Group earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing business insurance, personal insurance, and employee benefits coverage for clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sylvia Group is an independent insurance agency that places business insurance, personal insurance, and employee benefits coverage on behalf of clients through partnerships with multiple insurance carriers. It designs customized insurance and risk-reduction programs for businesses, individuals, and nonprofits, and delivers employee benefits services including health and welfare plans, retirement plan consulting, benefits compliance, and benefits administration technology. The agency is a subsidiary of Alera Group, allowing it to combine local New England service with national scope and resources.

Product overview

Sylvia Group is an independent insurance agency and part of Alera Group, offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance and employee benefits services. The core offerings consist of three main service lines: Business Insurance (customized commercial coverage including property, liability, workers compensation, and specialty programs for nonprofits and property managers), Personal Insurance (auto, homeowners, and life insurance), and Employee Benefits (health insurance, retirement consulting, compliance, and benefits administration technology). Employee Benefits is delivered through integrated modules including Retirement Plan Consulting, Health and Welfare Benefits, Playbook Process, Data Analytics, Benefits Administration and Technology, and Benefits Compliance. The agency also provides Claims Advocacy services across all lines. The company operates from two Massachusetts locations (Dartmouth/New Bedford and Norwell) and serves clients throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Insurance
• Personal Insurance
• Employee Benefits
• Retirement Plan Consulting
• Health and Welfare Benefits
• Benefits Compliance
• Data Analytics (Benefits)
• Benefits Administration and Technology
• Playbook Process
• Nonprofits Insurance
• Property Developers and Managers Insurance
• Claims Advocacy
• Wealth Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Insures over 80 area nonprofits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alera GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 2020Sylvia Group became an Alera Group company at the outset of 2020, enabling the agency to combine local, personal service with national scope and resources. Alera Group is a national firm dedicated to innovation, service, and corporate philanthropy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cross Insurance: Independent New England-based insurance agency offering commercial, personal, and employee benefits through multiple carrier partnerships; directly comparable regional brokerage model and customer mix.
• Starkweather & Shepley Insurance: Independent Rhode Island-based agency providing commercial, personal, and benefits solutions; closely comparable in size, multi-carrier independence, and New England geographic focus.
• Hilb Group: Roll-up acquirer of mid-market insurance agencies offering commercial, personal, and benefits products through regional offices; comparable regional brokerage model and carrier-representation style.

Broad incumbents

• HUB International: Large North American insurance brokerage offering P&C, benefits, and risk-management services through regional offices; comparable product breadth but national scale.
• Brown & Brown Insurance: Public insurance broker operating through decentralized regional offices with personal, commercial, and benefits offerings; structurally similar agency model at much larger scale.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global brokerage providing commercial P&C, benefits, and risk-management consulting; overlaps with Sylvia Group's commercial and benefits brokerage segments at a much broader scale.
• USI Insurance Services: Large insurance brokerage and consulting firm delivering property-casualty, employee benefits, and personal lines; comparable multi-line product set with national resource base.

Regional players

• The Rowley Agency: Independent Northeast insurance agency offering commercial and personal lines; comparable regional independent agency with carrier partnerships.
• Needham Insurance Group: Independent Massachusetts insurance agency providing P&C, life, and group benefits; comparable regional independent agency serving small-to-mid commercial clients.

Others

• Vertafore: Provider of agency management systems and client portal technology used by independent agencies; comparable as the technology backbone underpinning Sylvia Group's distribution and servicing capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sylvia-group
• Xx.com/SylviaGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/SylviaGroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Sylvia Group