The Howe Insurance Agency

What The Howe Insurance Agency does

The Howe Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency founded in 1955 by Douglas N. Howe, Sr. and currently under third-generation family ownership since 2008. Headquartered at 4 Punchard Avenue in Andover, Massachusetts, the agency serves households and small businesses across the Merrimack Valley region spanning Massachusetts and New Hampshire. As a non-captive independent agency, it distributes products from nine carrier partners, including Quincy Mutual, Plymouth Rock, Liberty Mutual, Andover Companies, Vermont Mutual, Travelers, Safety Insurance, Main Street America Group, and MPIUA.

The agency's product portfolio spans personal lines (auto, home, umbrella, flood, and life) and commercial lines (general liability, workers compensation, auto/motor fleet, and commercial property), with life insurance offered through a partnership with United Underwriters. Its business model is brokerage commission-based: the agency earns commissions on policies placed with carrier partners rather than underwriting risk itself. The go-to-market approach relies on direct sales, online quoting tools, community involvement, and a content/email marketing program (blog posts published from 2019 through 2026), supplemented by a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.

The agency employs between 11 and 50 people and has operated without disclosed proprietary technology, data assets, or AI capabilities. The business is fundamentally relationship-driven, with multi-generational local presence serving as the primary durable advantage in a market increasingly exposed to carrier-direct digital distribution and insurtech competitors.

Name

The Howe Insurance Agency

Legal name

The Howe Insurance Agency

Website

https://howeins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Howe Insurance Agency is a third-generation, family-owned independent insurance brokerage founded in 1955 in Andover, Massachusetts, distributing personal and commercial P&C plus life products from nine carrier partners to households and small businesses across the Merrimack Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Insurance Agency Services

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

Standard Personal Auto Insurance (Liability, Collision & Comprehensive) (FSAJAAAA), Personal Umbrella Insurance (FSAJANAA)

Keywords

• Independent insurance agency
• Personal insurance
• Commercial insurance
• Property and casualty
• Life insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Andover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commissions: As an independent insurance agency, Howe Insurance earns revenue through commissions paid by insurance carriers for policies sold and renewed. They work with multiple insurance companies (nine auto insurance carriers mentioned) to provide customized insurance programs to customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Howe Insurance Agency is an independent insurance brokerage that sells and services personal and commercial insurance policies on behalf of multiple insurance carriers. Personal lines include auto, home, umbrella, flood, and life insurance, while business lines include general liability, workers compensation, auto and motor fleet, and commercial property. The agency is paid via commissions from carriers and customizes coverage by shopping across nine carrier partners.

Product overview

The Howe Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency offering a portfolio of personal and business insurance products. The personal insurance suite includes Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Umbrella Insurance (providing up to $5 million in additional liability coverage), Flood Insurance, and Life Insurance (underwritten through United Underwriters). The business insurance suite includes General Liability Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance (available in Massachusetts and New Hampshire), Auto & Motor Fleet Insurance, and Commercial Property Insurance. The agency functions as an independent broker, working with nine insurance carrier partners including Liberty Mutual, Travelers, Quincy Mutual, Plymouth Rock, Safety Insurance, Vermont Mutual, Andover Companies, Main Street America Group, and Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association to provide customized insurance programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auto Insurance Vehicle coverage against accidents, theft, and damage, including liability protection required in Massachusetts, for individual drivers and households.
• Home Insurance Homeowners coverage protecting against fire, theft, storms, and liability including slip-and-fall and dog bite incidents, for individual homeowners.
• Umbrella Insurance Additional personal liability coverage providing up to $5,000,000 in protection when primary auto and home coverage limits are exhausted, for individuals and households.
• Flood Insurance Separate flood damage coverage not included in standard homeowners policies, with a 30-day policy waiting period, for property owners in flood-prone areas.
• Life Insurance Life insurance policies written in partnership with United Underwriters, for individuals seeking family financial protection.
• Workers Compensation Insurance Coverage for work-related injuries and illnesses, required in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for business compliance, for employers operating in those states.
• General Liability Insurance Protection against lawsuits involving property damage or bodily injury to third parties resulting from business operations, for small to mid-sized businesses.
• Auto and Motor Fleet Insurance Commercial automobile coverage for company-owned vehicles and employees using personal vehicles for business travel, for businesses with fleet or driving exposure.
• Commercial Property Insurance Coverage for business buildings, contents, inventory, and equipment against fire, theft, and natural disasters, for business property owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple carrier relationships enable customized coverage at competitive rates

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and community.

• Quincy Mutual GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner. Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation is affiliated with Quincy Mutual, providing auto and home insurance coverage options through the agency.
• Liberty Mutual InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational insurance carrier partner providing auto, home, and other personal insurance products available through the agency.
• Andover CompaniescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional insurance carrier headquartered in Andover, MA (95 Old River Road). Provides property and casualty insurance products, including home insurance coverage options.
• Main Street America GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional insurance group based in Keene, NH providing auto, home, and business insurance products through the agency.
• TravelerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor national insurance carrier (The Travelers Companies) providing personal insurance products including auto and home coverage.
• Safety InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMassachusetts-based property and casualty insurer providing auto and home insurance coverage options through the agency.
• Vermont Mutual Insurance GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional insurance carrier based in Montpelier, VT providing auto and property insurance products through the agency.
• Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState pool insurance provider (also known as MPIUA) serving Massachusetts property owners who may not qualify for standard coverage.
• United UnderwriterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife insurance partner providing life insurance products. The agency writes life insurance in partnership with United Underwriters, with quotes available through their online platform.
• Merrimack Valley YMCAcommunityOthersCommunity organization supported by the agency's giving back program. Focus on diversity, inclusion, and global engagement initiatives.
• Service Club of AndovercommunityOthersLocal Andover service organization supported through the agency's community giving program.
• Lawrence Boys & Girls ClubcommunityOthersYouth development organization serving the Lawrence, MA community supported through agency giving back initiatives.
• Family Services of the Merrimack ValleycommunityOthersNonprofit social services organization serving the Merrimack Valley region supported through community giving program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with deep personal and commercial lines practices. Comparable in core product mix and customer segments but operates at far greater scale and uses acquisitions of independent agencies as a growth strategy.
• Acrisure: One of the largest US insurance brokerages, built through aggressive acquisitions of independent agencies. Overlaps with Howe in personal and commercial lines distribution but operates at vastly greater scale and serves as a likely acquirer profile for the agency.
• HUB International: Major North American insurance brokerage serving personal and commercial customers through acquired independent agencies. Comparable product set to Howe but with national footprint, dedicated specialty practices, and significantly higher carrier leverage.
• Marsh McLennan Agency: Middle-market arm of global brokerage Marsh McLennan, focused on personal, commercial, and employee benefits distribution. Comparable in independent-style customer relationships and product breadth but with substantially greater resources and digital infrastructure.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. National insurance intermediary built largely through acquisitions of independent agencies and brokerages. Comparable in independent-agency go-to-market model and personal-and-commercial product mix, with a long track record as an acquirer of agencies in Howe's size range.

Direct peers

• Berry Insurance: Massachusetts-based independent insurance agency offering personal and commercial lines through multiple carriers. Directly comparable in regional geography, independent broker model, and SMB-plus-household customer base.
• Cross Insurance: Regional independent insurance agency headquartered in Maine serving personal and commercial customers across New England. Closely comparable to Howe in independent-agency model, multi-carrier distribution, and personal-plus-commercial product mix, but at meaningfully larger scale.
• Hilb Group: Regional insurance brokerage operating across the eastern US, focused on middle-market personal and commercial accounts. Comparable in independent-broker positioning, but materially larger and actively acquisitive — a likely consolidator profile for agencies like Howe.
• World Insurance Associates: US insurance brokerage built primarily through roll-up acquisitions of independent agencies. Operates with a multi-carrier, multi-line model directly comparable to Howe's distribution approach, with a stated strategy of acquiring agencies in regional markets.

Emerging players

• Lemonade: Digital-first, direct-to-consumer insurance carrier that bypasses agents and sells policies through a mobile app. Not a direct distribution peer, but represents the structural competitive threat reshaping personal-lines commissions and customer acquisition in the same household market Howe serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/howeinsagency
• Instagraminstagram.com/howeinsuranceagency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-howe-insurance-agency-of-andover-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The Howe Insurance Agency