Insurance Associates

What Insurance Associates does

Insurance Associates, Inc. is a privately held, independent insurance agency headquartered in Norfolk, Nebraska. Founded in 1971 by Jim Nelson and acquired in 1991 by Scott and Lori Williams, it operates as a three-generation family business with a current management team of roughly ten people spanning producers, account managers, and a claims coordinator. The company is not venture- or private-equity-backed and has no disclosed subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no acquisition history beyond the 1991 owner transition. Geographic scope is concentrated in Norfolk and the broader Midwest, with limited nationwide reach implied for its specialty food-processing program.

The agency distributes insurance on behalf of multiple regional carriers via direct sales channels: phone, in-person office consultations at its 1900 W Pasewalk Ave headquarters, and a website contact form. Its product portfolio spans three layers. Personal lines include home, auto, homeowners variants, recreational vehicles, and pet insurance. Commercial lines are organized into seven verticalized programs — Meat & Food Processors, Artisan & Mechanical Contractors, Manufacturers, Social Service Agencies, Commercial Farm & Agribusiness, Car Dealers, and Auto Service — each with purpose-built coverage and risk management content. Health insurance, including individual, group, dental, vision, long-term care, and supplemental products, is offered through a dedicated health agent.

Revenue mechanics are commission-based: Insurance Associates earns carrier commissions for placing and maintaining policies, with revenue classified as recurring. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Underlying technology consists of standard independent-agency management systems for policy administration, customer management, and claims processing — there is no proprietary platform, AI tooling, or API. Marketing relies on the company website, an industry FAQ/safety blog, Facebook community engagement, charitable involvement in Norfolk-area nonprofits, and direct referrals. The food-processing program, led by a certified Food Processing Manager, is the agency's clearest point of differentiation versus generalist competitors.

Name

Insurance Associates

Legal name

Insurance Associates, Inc.

Website

https://insuranceassociates.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Insurance Associates is a three-generation, family-owned independent insurance agency in Norfolk, Nebraska, distributing personal, commercial, health, and specialized meat/food-processing insurance products on behalf of multiple carriers to families, businesses, and Midwest clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commissions: Insurance Associates earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing and maintaining insurance policies for their customers. As an independent agency, they work with multiple carriers to find the best coverage and rates for their clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Insurance Associates is an independent insurance agency that sells and services commercial, personal, and health insurance policies on behalf of multiple insurance carriers. The agency specializes in coverage for niche commercial verticals such as meat and food processors, contractors, manufacturers, social service agencies, farms/agribusinesses, car dealers, and auto service shops, alongside personal lines (home, auto, recreational vehicles, pet) and health/benefits products. The agency earns carrier commissions and provides risk management guidance including HACCP, OSHA compliance, and return-to-work support.

Product overview

Insurance Associates is an independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and risk management services. The company operates as a single unified agency providing commercial insurance (contractor, manufacturer, social service agency, farm & agribusiness, car dealer, auto service, and meat & food processors coverage), personal insurance (home, auto, homeowners, recreational vehicles/toys), and health insurance products. Their services are organized by industry specialization and customer segment, with dedicated programs for specific industries like meat and food processing. The agency works with multiple insurance carriers to provide flexible coverage options tailored to individual client needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meat & Food Processors Insurance Specialized insurance and risk management for meat and food processing operations including butcher shops, co-packers, packing houses, snack stick manufacturers, beef jerky manufacturers, cold storage warehouses, growers, packers, shippers, frozen food manufacturers, prepared meal delivery, subscription box companies, and branded marketing companies. Coverage addresses recalls, HACCP plans, and supply chain management.
• Artisan and Mechanical Contractors Insurance Insurance coverage for artisan and mechanical contractors including liability, builders risk, commercial auto, workers compensation, errors & omissions, and property insurance.
• Manufacturers Insurance Insurance coverage for manufacturing businesses including product recall, manufacturers errors & omissions, manufacturers selling price valuation, OSHA compliance, plant safety, and return-to-work protocols.
• Social Service Agencies Insurance Insurance coverage for non-profit social service organizations including directors & officers liability, professional liability, employment practices liability, cyber liability, employee dishonesty, sexual abuse & molestation, and special event insurance.
• Commercial Farm & Agribusiness Insurance Insurance and safety measures for commercial farms and agribusinesses including commercial general liability, farm liability, pollution, inland marine, livestock mortality, employee safety manuals, and workers compensation insights.
• Car Dealers Insurance Insurance coverage for car dealerships including garage keepers liability, dealer open lot insurance, pollution liability, property coverage, and workers compensation.
• Auto Service Insurance Customized insurance coverage for auto service shops covering multiple risk areas under one roof.
• Home & Auto Insurance Bundle Bundled home and auto insurance with money-saving discounts, guaranteed full-year policy terms, single deductibles, emergency lockout coverage, and accidental death benefits.
• Homeowners Insurance Homeowners coverage including property, homeowners liability, renters, condo, mobile home, scheduled property, landlords, and in-home business insurance.
• Auto Insurance Vehicle insurance including liability, comprehensive, collision, uninsured motorist, diminishing deductible, accident forgiveness, minor violation forgiveness, roadside assistance, 24-hour customer service, towing, rental reimbursement, and personal injury protection.
• Toy Insurance (Recreational Vehicles) Recreational vehicle insurance including classic car, boat, motorcycle, motorhome, ATV, and snowmobile coverage.
• Health Insurance Health insurance services including individual & family health, group health, dental, vision, long-term care, temporary health, supplemental insurance, disability, medical expense, child health, travel health, prescription, and HSAs.
• Pet Insurance Pet health insurance through Safeco covering accidental injuries, anesthesia, euthanasia, cremation and burial, foreign object ingestion, accidental death, illnesses, alternative medicine, behavioral therapy, and hereditary conditions.

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• USI Insurance Services: Mid-market-focused insurance brokerage with property/casualty, employee benefits, and specialty practices. Comparable as a larger competitor in the middle-market commercial-insurance space where Insurance Associates also competes.
• Acrisure: Large, acquisitive insurance brokerage aggregating independent agencies and specialty platforms across the US and globally. Highly relevant as a likely acquirer of independent agencies like Insurance Associates and a benchmark for what a scaled version of the model looks like.
• Brown & Brown: National insurance brokerage with deep commercial and benefits capabilities across multiple industry verticals. Comparable as a larger, scaled independent-style broker with the same multi-carrier, multi-vertical model Insurance Associates operates at boutique scale.
• Arthur J. Gallagher: Global insurance brokerage and risk-management firm with extensive commercial and specialty practices. Relevant as a large-scale incumbent representing the upper bound of what an insurance brokerage can become and a potential strategic acquirer.
• AssuredPartners: National insurance brokerage built by acquiring independent agencies across commercial, personal, and benefits lines. Comparable as a roll-up acquirer and a benchmark for the end-state of consolidation in the agency channel.

Direct peers

• IMA Financial Group: Midwest-based independent insurance brokerage specializing in commercial lines and risk management across multiple industries. Directly comparable as a regional independent agency/brokerage with similar industry-vertical approach.
• PayneWest Insurance: Pacific Northwest-based independent insurance agency offering commercial, personal, and benefits products through multiple carrier partners. Directly comparable independent agency with vertical specialization and a regional operating model.
• Higginbotham: Independent insurance and risk-management firm headquartered in Texas serving commercial clients across multiple specialty verticals. Closely comparable multi-carrier agency with similar commercial-vertical specialization (manufacturing, contractors, agribusiness).
• Leavitt Group: Network of independent insurance agencies serving rural and mid-market America across commercial, personal, and benefits lines. Highly comparable as a multi-carrier independent agency model with vertical specialization and a regional/branch structure similar to Insurance Associates.
• Houchens Insurance Group: Independent insurance agency serving Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Southeast through multiple carrier partners with commercial and personal lines. Comparable mid-sized multi-line independent agency with similar operating profile to Insurance Associates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/InsuranceAssociates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Insurance Associates