DBI Brokers

What DBI Brokers does

DBI Brokers Ltd. is a privately held, family-owned independent insurance brokerage headquartered in Ayr, Ontario, and operating four branch offices across southwestern Ontario in Ayr, Paris, Simcoe, and Goderich. Founded in 1931 by G.S. Dalrymple, the firm is now controlled by the Brown family (President & Managing Partner Trent Brown; Managing Partner Tyler Brown) and traces its corporate lineage through predecessor agencies Dalrymple Insurance, Burns Insurance Service (reacquired 1998), and Perrin Insurance Brokers Ltd. and Goderich Insurance (acquired 2016), which were consolidated under the dbi Brokers Ltd. brand in 2016.

The firm distributes personal and commercial insurance products — auto, home, business, farm, life, travel, cottage, and boat — on behalf of a network of 13+ carrier partners including Aviva, Canada Life, Definity, Gore Mutual, Empire Life, Foresters Financial, Heartland Mutual, SSQ, Western General, Ayr Farmers Mutual, Canada Protection Plan, Premier Marine, and Perth Insurance. DBI does not underwrite risk; rather, it acts as an intermediary, with dedicated account managers preparing quotes, processing policies, and providing in-house claims advocacy on behalf of clients.

Revenue is generated through commission-based compensation on policies placed and renewed with carrier partners, with pricing individualized per risk. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, combining in-person branch visits, phone and email, community sponsorships, content marketing via the dbi Blog, and organic social channels. The firm employs 11-50 staff across the four locations, serves individual and SMB clients throughout Ontario, and is regulated under standard Canadian insurance broker licensing (RIBO).

Name

DBI Brokers

Legal name

dbi Brokers Ltd.

Website

https://dbibrokers.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DBI Brokers is a family-owned independent insurance brokerage operating four offices across southwestern Ontario, distributing auto, home, business, farm, life, travel, cottage, and boat insurance on behalf of 13+ carrier partners to individual and SMB clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ayr

HQ country

Canada

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: DBI Brokers generates revenue through commissions from insurance products placed with their carrier partners. They act as intermediaries between clients seeking coverage and insurance companies, earning commissions on policies sold and renewed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DBI Brokers is an independent insurance brokerage that places Ontario consumers and businesses with insurance carriers across personal and commercial lines. The brokerage shops coverage from a network of partner carriers (Aviva, Canada Life, Definity, Empire Life, Gore Mutual, Heartland Mutual, Perth, Premier Marine, SSQ, Western General, Ayr Farmers Mutual, Foresters, Canada Protection Plan) on behalf of clients, with in-house account managers and claims specialists supporting the full lifecycle from quote to renewal.

Product overview

DBI Brokers Ltd. is an insurance brokerage firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and services. Rather than a single unified software product, the company provides access to multiple insurance types (Auto, Home, Business, Farm, Life, Travel, Cottage, and Boat insurance) through partnerships with various insurance providers. As a broker, DBI connects clients with appropriate coverage from their network of insurance partners, providing personalized consultation and claims support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auto Insurance
• Home Insurance
• Business Insurance
• Farm Insurance Specialized insurance for Ontario farm operations covering property, equipment, livestock, and crop-related risks.
• Life Insurance Life insurance coverage (term, whole, and universal life options) for individuals and families, providing financial protection and estate planning benefits.
• Travel Insurance Travel insurance for Ontario travelers covering medical emergencies, trip cancellation, lost baggage, travel delays, and other trip-related risks.
• Cottage Insurance Specialized coverage for Ontario seasonal properties including cottages and cabins, covering property damage and liability.
• Boat Insurance Insurance coverage for boats, watercraft, and personal watercraft including liability and damage protection.

Named customers5 records

Segments7 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 and minor.

• Ayr Farmers MutualcoreOthersLocal mutual insurance company providing property and casualty insurance products through the DBI brokerage network
• AvivacoreOthersMajor Canadian insurance provider offering auto, home, and business insurance products distributed through DBI Brokers
• Canada LifecoreOthersLeading Canadian life insurance company providing life and health insurance products through DBI's broker network
• Canada Protection PlanminorOthersInsurance provider specializing in protection plans and final expense insurance products
• DefinitycoreOthersCanadian insurance company offering property and casualty insurance products through independent brokers
• Empire LifecoreOthersCanadian life insurance company providing individual and group insurance solutions distributed through DBI
• Foresters FinancialminorOthersFriendly society and insurance provider offering life insurance and fraternal benefits
• Gore Mutual InsurancecoreOthersCanadian mutual insurance company providing property and casualty coverage through independent brokers
• Heartland Mutual InsuranceminorOthersRegional mutual insurer providing property coverage tailored to agricultural and rural communities
• Perth InsuranceminorOthersRegional insurance provider offering property and casualty coverage in southwestern Ontario
• Premier Marine InsuranceminorOthersSpecialty marine insurance provider for pleasure craft and watercraft coverage
• SSQ InsuranceminorOthersCanadian insurance company offering property, casualty, and life insurance products
• Western General InsuranceminorOthersInsurance provider offering property and casualty coverage including farm insurance products

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BrokerLink: One of Canada's largest independent insurance brokerages with hundreds of branches across multiple provinces. Directly comparable to DBI as a multi-line, multi-carrier personal and commercial insurance brokerage serving Canadian retail and SMB customers through a brick-and-mortar + phone channel model.
• Westland Insurance Group: Western Canadian independent insurance brokerage that has grown aggressively through acquisition across Western Canada and Ontario. Comparable to DBI as a multi-line retail and commercial broker; represents both a competitor in Ontario and a model for the consolidation path DBI could pursue or be acquired into.
• Mitchell & Whale Insurance Brokers: Ontario-based independent insurance brokerage offering personal and commercial lines through multiple carrier partnerships. Directly comparable to DBI in size, geography, product breadth, and multi-carrier brokerage model.
• Morison Insurance Brokers: Family-owned Ontario insurance brokerage providing personal, commercial, farm, and life insurance via multi-carrier relationships. Closely comparable to DBI in ownership structure, Ontario footprint, farm/rural focus, and independent brokerage business model.
• CAA Insurance (CAA South Central Ontario): Insurance brokerage arm of CAA serving Ontario and other provinces with personal auto, home, and travel products. Comparable to DBI as a retail-facing multi-line insurance distributor that competes for the same household insurance wallet in Ontario.

Broad incumbents

• Hub International Canada: Major North American insurance brokerage with substantial Canadian operations offering personal, commercial, and specialty insurance. Comparable to DBI as a multi-carrier broker serving overlapping customer segments, but operating at vastly greater scale and across broader geographies.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Gallagher Canada): Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with a Canadian practice. Overlaps with DBI in commercial and personal lines intermediation but operates predominantly in larger commercial accounts, with broader geographic and product reach.
• The Co-operators: Large Canadian multi-line insurer and financial services cooperative that distributes heavily through independent advisors. Comparable to DBI in product breadth and Canadian market focus but operates as a carrier with embedded distribution rather than a pure broker.
• Intact Financial Corporation: Canada's largest property & casualty insurer (parent of Definity, Aviva Canada, and BrokerLink). Directly relevant as a counterparty that both supplies products through DBI's brokerage and competes through its owned broker network and direct-to-consumer brands.
• Marsh Canada: Global insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm with a significant Canadian presence across commercial and personal lines. Adjacent to DBI in intermediation role and carrier relationships, but skewed toward larger commercial clients and enterprise risk management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dbiBrokers
• Facebookfacebook.com/dbibrokers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 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 DBI Brokers