GAD Insurance
GAD Insurance is a Columbus, Ohio–based independent insurance agency founded in 1928 that places personal, commercial, life, bond, and employee benefits coverage for individuals, families, and businesses across all 50 U.S. states through 29+ carrier partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1928
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What GAD Insurance does
GAD Insurance (legal entity: Gardiner Allen DeRoberts Insurance LLC) is a privately held, partnership-structured independent insurance agency headquartered at 1349 W Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1928, the firm has operated continuously for 97 years and is one of the largest locally owned independent insurance agencies in Central Ohio, licensed to place coverage in all 50 U.S. states. The agency is led by five named partners — Stuart Allen, Andrew Gardiner, Jeff Levy, Luke Allen, and Grant DeVilbiss — supported by ten account executives. It holds top-tier designations with multiple carriers, including Chubb Cornerstone Agent, Grange Senior Partner, and Westfield Trilogy Agent (one of 78 agencies nationwide).
The company's product portfolio spans the full P&C and benefits spectrum on both sides of the household balance sheet. On the personal side, GAD places auto, homeowners, renters, condo, personal umbrella, watercraft/ATV, scheduled items, flood/earthquake, and life coverage. On the commercial side, it places business owners policies, commercial auto, inland marine, commercial property and general liability, cyber liability, D&O liability, employment practices liability, excess liability, surety bonds, and employee benefits including group health. Underlying technology is intentionally thin — the agency does not operate proprietary systems; client servicing runs on the Vertafore-powered InsurLink portal, which supports coverage verification, policy changes, auto ID card printing, certificate of insurance management, and document exchange, while online payments are processed via SEOPay.
GAD earns revenue through standard independent-agency commissions on policies placed across its 29+ carrier relationships (Chubb, Grange, Westfield, Auto-Owners, CNA, Travelers, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Safeco, and others). Pricing is quote-based, not publicly disclosed, and varies by coverage, carrier, and risk profile. The go-to-market is sales-led: account executives handle both personal and commercial clients across Central Ohio and nationally, supported by top-of-funnel content marketing through the GAD website and blog, and a self-serve post-sale client portal. The customer base is a long tail of individuals, families, and small-to-mid-sized businesses, with no disclosed enterprise anchor accounts.
GAD Insurance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GAD Insurance
- Legal name
- Gardiner Allen DeRoberts Insurance LLC
- Website
- https://gadinsurance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1928
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GAD Insurance is a Columbus, Ohio–based independent insurance agency founded in 1928 that places personal, commercial, life, bond, and employee benefits coverage for individuals, families, and businesses across all 50 U.S. states through 29+ carrier partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where GAD Insurance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GAD Insurance 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 Agency Commissions: GAD Insurance operates as an independent insurance agency, earning commissions from multiple insurance carriers including Chubb, Grange, Westfield, Auto-Owners, CNA, Encompass, Foremost, Hanover, Mapfre, Encova/Motorists, Liberty Mutual, Philadelphia Insurance, Progressive, Safeco, Selective, State Auto, Travelers, United Fire Group, US Assure, West Bend, and Westfield Insurance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Custom insurance quotes based on individual client needs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
GAD Insurance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GAD Insurance is an independent insurance agency placing personal, commercial, life, and health insurance, surety bonds, and employee benefits on behalf of clients through 29+ carrier partnerships. Account executives tailor coverage to individual risk profiles, and a self-serve InsurLink client portal handles ongoing policy servicing. The firm is licensed to provide insurance in all 50 U.S. states and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Product overview
GAD Insurance operates as an independent insurance agency offering a unified portfolio of personal and commercial insurance products supported by partnerships with over 29 insurance carriers. The core product portfolio spans personal lines (auto, homeowners, renters, condo, umbrella, watercraft/ATV, scheduled items, flood/earthquake, life) and commercial lines (business owners policy, commercial auto, inland marine, property/liability, cyber liability, D&O, employment practices liability, excess liability, bonds). The company also provides risk management and loss control consulting services. A client portal (GAD Client InsurLink) enables policy management. All products are distributed through account executives who tailor programs across carrier markets to fit client needs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Auto Insurance Vehicle coverage protecting personal automobiles against accidents, liability, and damage for individual policyholders.
- Homeowners Insurance Coverage protecting residential properties against damage, theft, and liability for homeowners.
- Renters Insurance Coverage for tenants renting apartments or homes, protecting personal belongings and liability, provided through Safeco Insurance partnership.
- Condo Insurance Coverage specifically designed for condominium owners protecting their unit and belongings.
- Personal Umbrella Insurance Additional liability coverage providing extra protection beyond standard policy limits for personal insurance policies.
- Personal Watercraft & ATV Insurance Specialized coverage for watercraft, boats, and all-terrain vehicles used for personal recreation.
- Scheduled Items Insurance Coverage for high-value individual items such as jewelry, art, or collectibles that require specified coverage beyond standard policies.
- Flood & Earthquake Insurance Specialized coverage protecting against flood and earthquake damage, typically excluded from standard homeowners policies.
- Life Insurance Term and permanent life insurance coverage providing financial protection for dependents, including funeral expenses and debt coverage.
- Employee Benefits Group health insurance and employee benefits programs for businesses, including group health insurance.
- Business Owners Policy (BOP) Combined commercial insurance package offering liability, property, business income, and contents coverage for small businesses.
- Commercial Auto Insurance Vehicle coverage for business-owned cars, trucks, and fleets protecting against accidents and liability in commercial operations.
- Commercial Property & General Liability Insurance Coverage protecting business premises, buildings, and general liability exposure from customer injuries and property damage claims.
- Cyber Liability Insurance Coverage protecting businesses against data breaches, cyber attacks, and digital asset losses.
- Directors and Officers Liability Insurance Coverage protecting company leadership from personal losses due to claims of wrongful acts, mismanagement, or breach of fiduciary duty.
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance Coverage protecting employers against claims from employees regarding discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and other employment-related issues.
- Excess Liability Insurance Additional liability coverage layer above primary policy limits for businesses requiring higher coverage thresholds.
- Inland Marine Insurance Coverage for goods, equipment, and property in transit over land, protecting against damage during shipping and transportation.
- Loss Control Services Risk assessment and loss prevention consulting services to help businesses identify and mitigate potential hazards.
- Risk Management Services Strategic consulting to identify, assess, and prioritize risks, developing comprehensive risk mitigation strategies for businesses.
- Surety Bonding Contract and commercial surety bonds guaranteeing contract performance, payment obligations, and business licensing compliance.
- GAD Client InsurLink Portal Secure client portal enabling policy verification, policy change requests, auto ID card printing, certificate of insurance management, and document uploads/downloads.
Quantifiable outcome
- Chubb Cornerstone Agent status - highest honor for outstanding growth agencies in the region
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use GAD Insurance
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
GAD Insurance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
GAD Insurance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ChubbcoreMajor insurance carrier partner. GAD Insurance awarded Chubb Cornerstone Agent status, their highest honor for outstanding growth agencies in the region.
- Grange InsurancecorePrimary insurance carrier partner. GAD named Senior Partner with Grange Insurance.
- Westfield InsurancecoreMajor insurance carrier partner. GAD is one of 14 insurance agencies statewide and 78 agencies nationwide to be bestowed Westfield's top honor of Trilogy agent.
- Auto-Owners InsuranceminorInsurance carrier partner offering after-hours claims support.
- CNAminorInsurance carrier partner.
- EncompassminorInsurance carrier partner.
- Foremost Insurance GroupminorInsurance carrier partner.
- The Hanover Insurance GroupminorInsurance carrier partner.
- Mapfre InsuranceminorInsurance carrier partner.
- Encova/MotoristsminorInsurance carrier partner.
- Liberty Mutual - Ohio CasualtyminorInsurance carrier partner.
- Philadelphia InsuranceminorInsurance carrier partner.
- ProgressiveminorInsurance carrier partner.
- Safeco InsuranceminorInsurance carrier partner for renter's insurance quotes.
- SelectiveminorInsurance carrier partner.
- State AutominorInsurance carrier partner.
- TravelersminorInsurance carrier partner.
- United Fire GroupminorInsurance carrier partner.
- US AssureminorInsurance carrier partner.
- West BendminorInsurance carrier partner.
- SEOPayminorPayment processing partner for online insurance payments.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
GAD Insurance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oswald Companies: Cleveland-based independent insurance agency offering personal, commercial, and employee benefits through multi-carrier partnerships. Closest geographic and operating-model analog to GAD, also serving Ohio and broader Midwest.
- Hylant: Toledo-based independent insurance brokerage with multi-line personal, commercial, surety, and employee benefits expertise. Similar scale to GAD and competing for the same Ohio independent-agency segment.
- Heffernan Insurance Brokers: Large independent insurance brokerage providing personal, commercial, and employee benefits through multiple carrier partnerships. Multi-line independent agency model comparable to GAD's distribution approach.
- Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. Independent insurance brokerage with strong commercial- and personal-lines practices across multiple states. Comparable multi-line independent agency with multi-state reach.
Broad incumbents
- Marsh McLennan: Global insurance brokerage and risk-management firm (NYSE: MMC). Overlaps with GAD on commercial placement and risk consulting, but operates at vastly greater scale.
- Aon: Global professional services firm with a major insurance brokerage arm (NYSE: AON). Competes with GAD for mid-market and large commercial accounts but at substantially larger scale.
- USI Insurance Services: One of the largest U.S. insurance brokerages, offering personal, commercial, and employee benefits through a national platform. Operates in the same multi-line brokerage category but at materially larger scale than GAD.
- Brown & Brown: National insurance distribution platform (NYSE: BRO) offering commercial and personal products across all 50 states. Same independent-agency distribution model but at far greater scale and geographic breadth.
- Hub International: Large North American insurance brokerage with personal, commercial, and benefits practices. Competes in the same multi-line segment but with substantially broader infrastructure.
Emerging players
- Assurance: Tech-forward insurance brokerage serving small-business and individual clients with digital distribution. Targets the same personal-and-small-commercial segment as GAD with a contrasting digitally-led GTM.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GAD Insurance social profiles
Digital presenceGAD Insurance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GAD Insurance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
GAD Insurance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GAD Insurance 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 GAD Insurance
What does GAD Insurance do?
GAD Insurance is an independent insurance agency placing personal, commercial, life, and health insurance, surety bonds, and employee benefits on behalf of clients through 29+ carrier partnerships. Account executives tailor coverage to individual risk profiles, and a self-serve InsurLink client portal handles ongoing policy servicing. The firm is licensed to provide insurance in all 50 U.S. states and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Is GAD Insurance a public or private company?
GAD Insurance is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was GAD Insurance founded?
GAD Insurance was founded in 1928. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GAD Insurance based?
GAD Insurance is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does GAD Insurance make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Agency Commissions.
Who are GAD Insurance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oswald Companies, Hylant, Heffernan Insurance Brokers and Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.. Broad incumbents are Marsh McLennan, Aon, USI Insurance Services, Brown & Brown and Hub International. Assurance is listed as an emerging player.
Does GAD Insurance have an API?
No public API is recorded for GAD Insurance.