Harmon Dennis Bradshaw

What Harmon Dennis Bradshaw does

Harmon Dennis Bradshaw, Inc. (HDB) is an independent insurance agency founded in 1977 in Montgomery, Alabama, operating across all 50 US states and Mexico through licenses held by approximately 45 employees distributed across four offices (Montgomery, Birmingham, Troy, and Duluth, GA). The firm places commercial property and casualty, personal lines, and employee benefits coverage on behalf of clients by representing 248 insurance carriers, earning commission-based revenue on policies placed rather than charging clients directly. Its commercial client base spans mid-market and enterprise organizations across at least 15 vertical specialties including manufacturing, construction, healthcare, real estate, transportation, non-profits, dealerships, and electric cooperatives, alongside individual consumer policies.

HDB's core technology stack consists of a multi-carrier brokerage platform supported by a third-party Vertafore-powered client portal for self-service policy management, FMG Suite (Agency Revolution) content and marketing automation tooling, and an integration with BerniePortal for HR and benefits administration. The firm layers value-added advisory services on top of brokerage placement, including attorney-led claims advocacy, OSHA/DOT compliance and workplace safety consulting, HR consulting, and captive insurance solutions, positioning itself as a risk management partner rather than a transactional agent.

HDB monetizes primarily through carrier commissions on placed policies plus fee-based risk management and advisory engagements, with no direct client fees for insurance placement. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven enterprise field sales supported by inside sales, content marketing, webinars, community outreach, and client referrals. In April 2026, HDB agreed to be acquired by Higginbotham, a larger Texas-based employee-owned insurance and financial services firm, as a succession planning transaction that retains HDB's ten-shareholder leadership and local operating autonomy.

Name

Harmon Dennis Bradshaw

Legal name

Harmon Dennis Bradshaw, Inc.

Website

https://hdbinsurance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harmon Dennis Bradshaw is an independent insurance agency founded in 1977 in Montgomery, Alabama, placing commercial, personal, and employee benefits coverage through 248 carriers across all 50 US states and Mexico for mid-market, enterprise, and individual clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

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

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Life Insurance (6311), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Ancillary Employer Benefits (Life/Disability/Accident/Critical Illness) (HLAEAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Management Liability (D&O/EPL/Fiduciary) (FSAJAGAD), Supplemental/Voluntary Group Term Life (Employee-Paid) (FSAIADAB)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commissions: HDB earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing business with them. As an independent agency, they represent 248 insurance companies and offer a wide variety of coverage options and price points, earning commission income on each policy placed.
2. Risk Management and Advisory Fees: HDB provides fee-based risk management services including risk assessments, loss control inspections, OSHA compliance assistance, and HR consulting services. They also offer captive insurance management and advisory services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harmon Dennis Bradshaw is an independent insurance agency that places business with 248 represented insurance carriers to deliver business insurance (commercial P&C, workers' compensation, cyber, D&O, etc.), personal insurance (home, auto, etc.), and employee benefits (group health, dental, vision, life, disability). Adjacent services include risk management and loss control, attorney-led claims advocacy, HR consulting, captive insurance solutions, and 24/7 client portal self-service.

Product overview

Harmon Dennis Bradshaw (HDB) is an independent insurance agency offering a unified platform of insurance and risk management services. The core offering consists of three main product lines: Business Insurance (commercial property, casualty, liability, and industry-specific coverages), Personal Insurance (home, auto, and other individual coverage), and Employee Benefits (group health, dental, vision, life, and disability). These are complemented by value-added modules including Risk Management & Loss Control services, Claims Advocacy (led by in-house legal expertise), HR Consulting (via third-party partnership), and Captive Solutions for alternative risk financing. The agency also provides a proprietary Client Portal for 24/7 account self-service and offers BerniePortal integration for streamlined benefits administration. HDB operates as one of Alabama's largest independent insurance agencies with licenses in all 50 states and Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Insurance Comprehensive commercial insurance solutions for businesses including commercial property, general liability, workers' compensation, business auto, cyber liability, directors and officers, employment practices liability, surety bonds, environmental insurance, and other commercial coverages. Targeted at national and regional companies, local family-held businesses, and public entities.
• Personal Insurance Individual and family insurance coverage including home, auto, condo, flood, motorcycle, valuable possessions, umbrella, high-net-worth, travel, secondary home, individual life, and individual dental and vision coverage. Targeted at individuals and families seeking personal protection.
• Employee Benefits Group benefits packages for employers including group health, dental, vision, life and accidental death and dismemberment, disability, and voluntary benefits. Includes complementary BerniePortal integration for online benefits administration.
• Industry Specialties Specialized insurance programs tailored to specific industries including manufacturing, non-profit, contractor, fleet, dealership, restaurant, retail, technology, trucking, forestry/logging, healthcare, real estate, transportation, law firms, wholesalers, garage operations, logistics, hospitality, public entities, and architects and engineers.
• Risk Management and Loss Control Risk assessment and loss control services covering OSHA compliance, FMCSA/DOT compliance, accident investigations, safety training, workplace safety management, and hazard identification to help clients mitigate operational risks.
• Claims Advocacy Claims management support led by an attorney with over 21 years of legal experience. Provides guidance through the claims process, coverage analysis, and litigation support for complex insurance coverage issues through a round-table Claims Team approach.
• HR Consulting HR advisory services including employee handbook creation, legal updates, 24/7 SHRM-certified hotline, legal document reviews, employment law consultations, and state-required training.
• Captive Solutions Alternative risk financing options for qualified businesses, allowing clients to potentially earn back premiums through investment income with good loss experience, providing long-term cost stability.

Quantifiable outcome

• One non-profit client cut insurance costs in half during their first year with HDB
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HigginbothamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Higginbotham, a Texas-based employee-owned insurance and financial services firm, agreed to acquire HDB as part of a succession planning initiative. The deal addresses HDB's succession planning while maintaining local decision-making. The combination is expected to deliver broader carrier access, deeper sector expertise, and expanded specialist services. HDB's ten-shareholder leadership team will remain in place.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AssuredPartners: Large national insurance brokerage built through rollups of independent agencies, offering commercial P&C, employee benefits, and personal lines. Most directly comparable to HDB by scale, model, and acquisition-driven growth strategy.
• USI Insurance Services: Large U.S. insurance brokerage focused on middle-market commercial clients across P&C, employee benefits, and specialty lines. Comparable to HDB in mid-market commercial focus and diversified service offerings.
• Higginbotham: Texas-based employee-owned insurance and financial services firm that announced the April 2026 acquisition of HDB. Operates an independent agency/brokerage model across commercial P&C, employee benefits, and personal lines with similar mid-market and enterprise client focus.
• Brown & Riding Insurance Services: Wholesale insurance brokerage placing complex and specialty commercial risks across multiple carriers, overlapping HDB's specialty industry and multi-carrier placement expertise.
• Burns & Wilcox: Specialty wholesale insurance brokerage and surplus lines distributor serving retail agents and brokers. Comparable as a multi-carrier, specialty-placement peer for complex commercial risks.
• Woodruff Sawyer: Mid-market-focused commercial insurance brokerage specializing in management liability, property & casualty, and employee benefits — directly overlapping HDB's specialty/industry expertise and customer segment.
• Hub International: North American independent insurance brokerage serving mid-market and commercial clients across property & casualty, employee benefits, and personal lines. Comparable to HDB in its multi-carrier, multi-state independent agency model.
• RPS Insurance (Risk Placement Services): Specialty wholesale insurance brokerage and binding authority for excess & surplus and niche commercial lines. Comparable to HDB as a multi-carrier distribution specialist serving commercial clients with complex risks.

Broad incumbents

• Marsh McLennan Agency: Middle-market and commercial-focused U.S. brokerage arm of Marsh McLennan, offering P&C, employee benefits, and risk management — overlapping HDB's target segments at a much larger scale.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with a major U.S. retail brokerage business across commercial P&C, benefits, and personal lines — a broader-scale incumbent operating in the same addressable market as HDB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hdbinsurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harmon-dennis-&-bradshaw-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Harmon Dennis Bradshaw