Whims Insurance Agency
Whims Insurance Agency is a fifth-generation, family-owned independent insurance brokerage in Rochester, Michigan, representing 16+ carriers across auto, home, life/health, business, and bonds lines. It serves individuals and small-to-large businesses in Southeast Michigan and other licensed US states via commission-based placement.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersRochester Mills, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Whims Insurance Agency does
Whims Insurance Agency is an independent, family-owned insurance brokerage founded in April 1917 by Leslie L. Whims in Rochester, Michigan, now in its fifth generation of family involvement. The agency represents more than 16 insurance carriers, including Auto-Owners Insurance (its original 1917 partner still active today), Progressive, Travelers, Hartford, Hagerty, Cincinnati, and Citizens, and sells personal and commercial lines across auto, home, life/health, business, and bonds through a traditional broker model.
The firm operates from a single headquarters at 322 S Main St, Rochester, MI, supported by a 22-person team with 450+ combined years of industry experience, and is licensed to sell and service insurance in multiple US states beyond Michigan. Its go-to-market is relationship-led and local: in-office consultations, phone-based service, a website for top-of-funnel inquiry, a Facebook page, and word-of-mouth referrals generated through 106+ years of community presence. The technology stack is conventional business software for CRM, policy administration, and communications, with no proprietary platform, mobile app, or AI tooling.
Whims generates revenue entirely through insurance commissions earned on policies placed and serviced with its carrier partners, with pricing set per-quote based on individual risk and underwriting criteria. The agency serves individuals, families, and small-to-large multi-state businesses across Southeast Michigan and other licensed states, with Connie Klix Mercer serving as President since 2020 and Grant Mercer representing the latest generational addition in 2021.
Whims Insurance Agency firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whims Insurance Agency
- Legal name
- Whims Insurance Agency
- Website
- https://whimsinsurance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Whims Insurance Agency is a fifth-generation, family-owned independent insurance brokerage in Rochester, Michigan, representing 16+ carriers across auto, home, life/health, business, and bonds lines. It serves individuals and small-to-large businesses in Southeast Michigan and other licensed US states via commission-based placement.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Whims Insurance Agency industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Insurance Agency / Brokerage
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial General Liability (CGL) (FSAJADAA), Standalone Umbrella Liability (FSAJANAE), Basic Group Term Life (Employer-Paid) (FSAIADAA)
Keywords
Where Whims Insurance Agency is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rochester Mills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Whims Insurance Agency business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Commissions: Whims Insurance Agency generates revenue by representing multiple insurance carrier partners. They earn commissions when they sell and service insurance policies from carriers including Auto-Owners Insurance, Fremont, ICW Group, Cincinnati Insurance, Hastings, Hagerty, Foremost, EMC Insurance, Pioneer, PHLY, Hartford, Travelers, Progressive, Accident Fund, Citizens Insurance, and The Silverlining. Revenue is commission-based, typically a percentage of policy premiums.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Custom insurance solutions tailored to individual and business needs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Whims Insurance Agency product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whims Insurance Agency is an independent, family-owned insurance brokerage operating since 1917 from Rochester, Michigan, representing 16+ insurance carriers to deliver personal and commercial insurance products. The agency sells auto, home, life/health, business, and surety bond coverage by shopping multiple carriers on behalf of customers and earning commissions on policies placed.
Product overview
Whims Insurance Agency offers a portfolio of insurance products through an insurance brokerage model, representing multiple carrier partners to provide customers with options across five core product lines: Business Insurance (including liability, worker's comp, property, commercial auto, and specialized coverage), Bonds (surety bonds for various purposes), Auto Insurance (personal and commercial vehicle coverage), Home Insurance (residential property coverage for diverse property types), and Life/Health Insurance (life, health, Medicare, and disability coverage). The agency operates as an independent insurance agency, accessing multiple insurance carriers to match customers with appropriate coverage options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving Rochester and Southeast Michigan since 1917 - over 106 years of continuous operation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Whims Insurance Agency
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Whims Insurance Agency technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Whims Insurance Agency partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Auto-Owners InsurancecoreAuto-Owners Insurance is the original carrier partnership that began in 1917 when founder Leslie L. Whims was approached and licensed as an agent. This partnership with Auto-Owners Insurance Company still exists today, representing over 107 years of continuous relationship.
- Fremont InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options for personal and commercial lines through Whims Insurance Agency.
- ICW GroupcoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- Cincinnati InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- Hastings InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- HagertycoreInsurance carrier partner specializing in classic and collector vehicle insurance, aligning with Whims' specialty coverage offerings.
- ForemostcoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- EMC InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- PioneercoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- PHLYcoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- HartfordcoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- TravelerscoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- ProgressivecoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- Accident FundcoreInsurance carrier partner providing workers compensation and related coverage through Whims Insurance Agency.
- Citizens InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
- The Silverlining (West Bend)coreInsurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Whims Insurance Agency.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Whims Insurance Agency competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hylant Group: Independent insurance brokerage operating across personal, commercial, life/health and benefits lines with multiple carrier relationships. Comparable to Whims in offering breadth and carrier-representation model, though substantially larger.
- Starke Resch Agency: Multi-line independent insurance agency providing personal, business, life/health, and surety coverage through carrier partnerships. Closely comparable to Whims in product breadth, brokerage model, and family/privately-held ownership orientation.
- LeClair Insurance Group: Independent brokerage offering auto, home, business, and life/health insurance through multiple carrier partners. Similar multi-line, multi-carrier agency model and customer segments to Whims Insurance Agency.
- Haylor, Freyer & Coon: Independent insurance and benefits agency serving personal and commercial clients across multiple states through carrier partnerships. Comparable multi-line brokerage with a similar employee base and carrier-representation motion.
- M3 Insurance: Independent insurance brokerage offering commercial, personal, life, and benefits products through multiple carrier relationships. Comparable independent agency model with multi-line offerings and carrier-shopping motion.
Broad incumbents
- Brown & Brown Insurance: Large national insurance brokerage and agency operator with retail agency, wholesale, and programs businesses. Overlaps with Whims in personal and commercial retail brokerage but operates at substantially greater scale and breadth across many geographies.
- Arthur J. Gallagher (Gallagher): Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with retail agency operations across personal, commercial, and benefits lines. Competes for the same multi-line accounts as Whims but with vastly larger scale, technology investment, and geographic reach.
- Hub International: Large North American insurance brokerage built through roll-ups of independent agencies, offering personal, commercial, life/health and benefits. Directly competes for the small-mid commercial accounts Whims serves, while also providing a likely aggregator exit path for agencies like Whims.
- Acrisure: Fast-growing global insurance brokerage and financial services platform aggregated largely through independent agency acquisitions. Competitor for commercial business and consolidator of choice in the U.S. independent agency channel where Whims competes.
Regional players
- Meadowbrook Insurance Agency: Michigan-based independent insurance agency providing personal, commercial, and life/health coverage through carrier partnerships. Most direct geographic competitor to Whims in the Michigan market with very similar product mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Whims Insurance Agency social profiles
Digital presenceWhims Insurance Agency financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whims Insurance Agency leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Whims Insurance Agency funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whims Insurance Agency 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 Whims Insurance Agency
What does Whims Insurance Agency do?
Whims Insurance Agency is an independent, family-owned insurance brokerage operating since 1917 from Rochester, Michigan, representing 16+ insurance carriers to deliver personal and commercial insurance products. The agency sells auto, home, life/health, business, and surety bond coverage by shopping multiple carriers on behalf of customers and earning commissions on policies placed.
Is Whims Insurance Agency a public or private company?
Whims Insurance Agency is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Whims Insurance Agency founded?
Whims Insurance Agency was founded in 1917. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Whims Insurance Agency based?
Whims Insurance Agency is headquartered in Rochester Mills, United States, in the North America region.
How does Whims Insurance Agency make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Commissions.
Who are Whims Insurance Agency's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hylant Group, Starke Resch Agency, LeClair Insurance Group, Haylor, Freyer & Coon and M3 Insurance. Broad incumbents are Brown & Brown Insurance, Arthur J. Gallagher (Gallagher), Hub International and Acrisure. Meadowbrook Insurance Agency is listed as a regional player.
Does Whims Insurance Agency have an API?
No public API is recorded for Whims Insurance Agency.
What industry is Whims Insurance Agency in?
Whims Insurance Agency's product category is Independent Insurance Agency / Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEADAA, Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage, with a secondary code of FSAJADAA, Commercial General Liability (CGL). Its NAICS code is 524210 and its SIC code is 6411.