What Gorst & Compass does

Gorst & Compass Insurance is an independently owned, full-service wholesale insurance broker founded in 1968 and headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, with additional offices in Costa Mesa and San Marcos. The firm distributes specialty and standard insurance products exclusively through an appointed retail agent network, working with over 100 admitted and non-admitted carriers to place niche and difficult-to-place risks across seven core product lines: casualty, garage and transportation, personal lines, professional liability, property, transportation, and standard lines commercial. Gorst & Compass earns transaction commissions on agency-billed and direct-billed premium flows from carriers, with commission structures differentiated by billing path.

The firm's underlying technology consists of a cloud-based infrastructure that supports the GQ Rater online quoting platform, which provides 24/7 instant quotes for commercial, professional, and personal lines, and the PUMAA agent portal, which handles underwriting access, policy management, payments, and commission tracking for appointed agents. Under the IT Director hired in 2024, the company migrated from on-premises systems to a cloud environment and has stated focus areas in cybersecurity and emerging AI. Adjacent service infrastructure includes dedicated underwriter contacts per product line, claims reporting, loss run requests, premium financing via an external partner, and producer onboarding workflows.

Gorst & Compass operates a B2B channel-partner GTM focused entirely on retail insurance agents and brokers who require access to specialty markets. Its customers are retail agents serving small and mid-market commercial accounts, personal lines buyers, and professionals needing D&O, E&O, cyber, or EPLI coverage. The firm is led by Chairman and CEO Mike Heagerty (owner since 1992) and President Bryan Clark (since 2015), with deep industry-association involvement (WSIA, CIWA, MCIEF) and has received the Insurance Business America 5-Star Wholesale Broker & MGA designation consecutively from 2022 through 2026.

Name

Gorst & Compass

Legal name

Gorst & Compass Insurance

Website

https://gorstcompass.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gorst & Compass is an independently owned wholesale insurance broker founded in 1968, distributing specialty and standard insurance products through appointed retail agents across casualty, property, transportation, garage, professional liability, and personal lines in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines) (FSAEADAD)

Keywords

• Wholesale insurance brokerage
• Surplus lines distribution
• Specialty insurance products
• Retail agent appointments
• Commercial lines underwriting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatsworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Insurance Distribution Commissions: Gorst & Compass earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing business through their appointed retail agent network. Commissions are retained upfront for agency-billed policies, with monthly payments issued for direct-billed policies upon receipt of funds from carriers. The company works with over 100 insurance companies including admitted and non-admitted markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gorst & Compass is a full-service wholesale insurance broker that distributes specialty, surplus lines, and standard commercial and personal insurance products exclusively through appointed retail insurance agents. The company places business with over 100 admitted and non-admitted carriers across seven product lines (Casualty, Garage, Personal Lines, Professional Liability, Property, Transportation, and Standard Lines). It also operates the GQ Rater online quoting platform and the PUMAA agent portal to support 24/7 quoting, underwriting access, policy management, and commission processing for its retail agent partners.

Product overview

Gorst & Compass is an independently owned full-service wholesale insurance broker founded in 1968, distributing specialty insurance products through retail agency partners. The company works with over 100 insurance companies and offers a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products organized into seven core product categories: Casualty Lines (general liability, commercial auto, workers comp, umbrella), Garage/Transportation (garage liability, auto dealers), Personal Lines (homeowners, flood, earthquake, valuables), Professional Liability (D&O, E&O, cyber, EPLI), Property Insurance (commercial and residential), Transportation (trucking, public auto), and Standard Lines (BOP, commercial package, workers comp). The company also provides a digital online quoting platform called GQ Rater for instant 24/7 quotes, along with an agent portal for online policy management, payments, and claims reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Casualty Lines Comprehensive commercial casualty coverage including general liability, umbrella, workers compensation, commercial auto, and specialty casualty lines for diverse business operations, distributed through appointed retail agents.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WSIA (Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association)coreOthersGorst & Compass is a member of WSIA, the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association. Company President Bryan Clark is a past president and former board member of WSIA. WSIA represents wholesalers, reinsurers, and MGAs in the surplus lines industry.
• CIWA (California Insurance Wholesalers Association)coreOthersGorst & Compass is a member of CIWA, the California Insurance Wholesalers Association. Company leadership including Chairman & CEO Mike Heagerty and COO Paul Laufer have held past president positions at CIWA.
• MCIEF (Motor Carrier Insurance Education Foundation)minorOthersGorst & Compass is a proud member of MCIEF, the Motor Carrier Insurance Education Foundation, supporting transportation and trucking insurance operations.
• Over 100 Insurance CarrierscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGorst & Compass works with over 100 insurance companies including both admitted and non-admitted markets with A+ rated carriers. Products include casualty, garage, personal lines, professional liability, property, transportation, and standard lines coverage.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Amwins: Largest U.S. wholesale insurance broker and managing general agent. Directly comparable specialty placement model with similar retail agent distribution and multi-line product breadth, though operating at much greater national scale.
• CRC Insurance Group: Major wholesale broker and MGA distributing specialty and surplus lines to retail agents nationwide. Closely comparable business model, including online quoting and admitted/non-admitted market access.
• Burns & Wilcox: National wholesale insurance broker and MGA specializing in surplus lines placement to retail agents. Directly comparable specialty distribution focus and similar product portfolio across casualty, property, and professional lines.
• Risk Placement Services (RPS): National wholesale broker and managing underwriter providing specialty and excess & surplus lines to retail agents. Directly comparable channel model and E&S market focus.
• Wholesure: Wholesale broker recognized alongside Gorst & Compass as a 5-Star Wholesale Broker & MGA. Directly comparable specialty placement focus and retail agent distribution.
• Monarch E&S Insurance Services: Wholesale broker recognized alongside Gorst & Compass for product range, tech innovation, and niche risk placement. Directly comparable surplus lines wholesale model.

Emerging players

• Westpoint Insurance Group: Regional wholesale broker and MGA with overlapping specialty lines distribution to retail agents. Comparable business model with a smaller geographic footprint.
• Crump Life Insurance Services: Wholesale distribution and MGA platform with cross-line specialty expertise. Comparable retail-agent distribution model with growing specialty and surplus lines capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Hiscox: Specialty insurer with significant surplus lines and E&S capabilities, plus direct digital distribution. Broad incumbent that competes for the same specialty placements and emerging digital agent channels.
• Liberty Mutual Surplus Lines: Major carrier with dedicated surplus lines operations and in-house wholesale capabilities. Represents both a carrier partner and a competitive threat through direct E&S underwriting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GorstandCompass

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Gorst & Compass