Harding Brooks Insurance Agency

What Harding Brooks Insurance Agency does

Harding Brooks Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency operating across three offices in Vestal (Binghamton), Syracuse, and Scranton, Pennsylvania, serving personal, commercial, employee benefits, surety, and transportation clients primarily in the Northeast United States. The current entity was formed in 2009 when Tom Harding and Larry Brooks reacquired the original Paul J Brooks Insurance Agency (founded 1956) and combined it with Tom Harding's existing book of business; Mike Peplinski joined as a partner in 2020 after leading the Syracuse expansion launched in 2014. The agency represents multiple insurance carriers and earns commissions across personal lines (auto, home, umbrella, recreational vehicles), commercial lines (construction, manufacturing, retail, dealerships, real estate, municipalities, non-profits), group and individual benefits (life, health, dental, Medicare supplements, disability), surety bonds, and a specialty Transportation Insurance program covering trucking, auto transport, towing, and non-emergency medical transport.

Its flagship offering is an exclusive National Repossession Program for the Collateral Recovery Industry, providing general liability, wrongful repossession, auto liability, garagekeepers direct primary, on-hook cargo, and umbrella coverages — a niche specialization supported by endorsements from National and State Transportation Associations and dedicated service, training, and claims infrastructure. In 2021 the agency opened the Scranton office and formed a strategic partnership with The C3 Group to bundle Operational Efficiency, Human Resources, and Risk Management consulting alongside core insurance products. The technology stack is conventional: agency management and a client portal for policy access, with no disclosed proprietary AI, data, or platform technology. The business model is relationship-driven, sales-led, and geographically concentrated in the Northeast, with the national repossession program serving as the primary out-of-region growth lever.

Name

Harding Brooks Insurance Agency

Legal name

Harding Brooks Insurance Agency

Website

https://hardingbrooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harding Brooks Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency with three Northeast offices offering personal, commercial, benefits, surety, and transportation coverage, distinguished by an exclusive national program serving the Collateral Recovery/Repossession industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vestal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 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 Agency Commissions: Harding Brooks operates as an independent insurance agency earning commissions from insurance carriers for placing coverage. They represent multiple insurance carriers across personal, commercial, and specialty lines including transportation and repossession insurance programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Harding Brooks Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency that places coverage with multiple insurance carriers on behalf of clients. It sells business insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, surety bonds, transportation insurance, and an exclusive national program for the collateral recovery/repossession industry, supported by in-house claims advocacy.

Product overview

Harding Brooks Insurance Agency offers a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and services through a multi-module platform architecture. The core offerings include Business Insurance (covering construction, manufacturing, retail, auto dealerships, commercial real estate, transportation/collateral recovery, medical/dental practices, municipalities, and not-for-profits), Employee Benefits (individual and group health/life/dental insurance), Personal Insurance (home, auto, umbrella, landlord, flood, farmowners, classic cars, jewelry, and recreational vehicles), Surety (commercial and license/permit bonds), and Transportation Insurance (trucking, auto transport, towing, medical transport, limousine, and moving/storage). The agency's flagship specialization is the National Repossession Program providing exclusive insurance for the Collateral Recovery Industry. Supporting services include Claims Advocacy, plus partnership-delivered Operational Efficiency, Human Resources, and Risk Management modules through C3Group Consulting. The company operates with locations in Binghamton/Vestal NY, Syracuse NY, and Scranton PA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Insurance Commercial insurance coverage with knowledgeable recommendations, policy analysis, and access to multiple carriers for competitive pricing. Targeted at commercial accounts across multiple industry verticals.
• Employee Benefits Individual and employer-sponsored group benefits including life, health, dental, Medicare supplements, disability, and health savings accounts. Managed by dedicated Benefits Account Managers for employers and individuals.
• Personal Insurance Personal lines insurance covering automobile, homeowners, personal umbrella, landlord and dwelling fire, flood, farmowners, classic cars, jewelry, ATV/motorcycle/snowmobile, and watercraft/jet ski for individual homeowners and vehicle owners.
• Surety Bonds Surety bonds ranging from commercial surety to license and permit bonds that guarantee contractual obligations and provide protection to all parties involved.
• Transportation Insurance Insurance solutions for the transportation industry covering local, intermediate, and long-haul trucking, auto transport, towing and recovery, non-emergency medical transport, limousine, and moving and storage operators.
• National Repossession Insurance Program Exclusive Repossession Insurance Program for the Collateral Recovery Industry featuring general liability, wrongful repossession, auto liability, garagekeepers direct primary, on-hook cargo, and optional property/equipment/umbrella coverage, with dedicated service, training, and claims team.
• Claims Advocacy In-house claims advocacy service providing direction and guidance through the claims process from filing to resolution, coordinating communication and mitigating or expediting claims for policyholders.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The C3 GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership formed in 2021 to expand current offerings to clients. The C3 Group provides Operational Efficiency, Human Resources, and Risk Management consulting services that complement Harding Brooks insurance offerings. C3 Group logo appears on the Harding Brooks website indicating a collaborative relationship.
• Mike PeplinskicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Mike Peplinski became partners with Tom Harding in Harding Brooks Insurance Agency in 2020. He leads the Syracuse office which focuses on the exclusive national insurance program for the Collateral Recovery/Repossession industry.
• National and State Transportation AssociationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHarding Brooks is endorsed by various National and State Transportation Associations. The agency is actively involved in advocating on behalf of multiple committees at industry-wide events each year and educates association members on risk management.
• Eagle Group XXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner shown on repossession page. Eagle Group XX is a network or association in the collateral recovery industry.
• USR (repo.org)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner shown on repossession page. USR is the United Surety & Recovery association or related entity in the repossession industry.
• Allied Finance AdjustersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner shown on repossession page. Allied Finance Adjusters is a professional association in the collateral recovery/finance industry.
• Repo AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner shown on repossession page. Repo Alliance is a network or association serving the repossession industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Risk Placement Services (RPS): National specialty insurance wholesale brokerage and managing general agency focused on transportation, repossession-adjacent, and other niche commercial risks. Directly comparable to the niche-repo positioning of Harding Brooks's flagship program.
• Acrisure: Tech-enabled, partner-led insurance brokerage operating across commercial, personal, and benefits lines globally. Far larger than Harding Brooks but represents the scaled endpoint of the same partner-led agency model the firm is pursuing.
• World Insurance Associates: Rapidly growing multi-line insurance agency with strong Northeast presence providing personal, commercial, and benefits coverage via carrier appointments. Larger scale than Harding Brooks with comparable product breadth and channel.
• NFP (an Aon company): Large multi-line insurance broker and consultant serving commercial, personal, and benefits clients with property/casualty, life, and retirement offerings. Substantially larger than Harding Brooks but competes for the same Northeast commercial and benefits accounts.

Emerging players

• One80 Intermediaries: Insurance intermediary specializing in niche and specialty commercial lines through a hub of partner-led agencies. Comparable to Harding Brooks in its focus on specialty vertical programs (transportation, niche commercial risks).

Direct peers

• Hilb Group: Mid-Atlantic and Northeast-focused independent insurance agency providing commercial, personal, and employee benefits coverage through carrier partnerships. Highly comparable in multi-line, relationship-driven agency model and regional footprint.
• Tompkins Insurance Agencies: Independent insurance agency operating across New York and Pennsylvania offering personal, commercial, and benefits coverage through multiple carriers. Comparable geography, multi-line scope, and independent-agency economics.
• Haylor, Freyer & Coon: Upstate New York-based independent insurance and risk management agency serving commercial and personal clients across multiple carrier appointments. Comparable as a regional independent agency with similar multi-line offerings and carrier-network model.
• The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers: Independent insurance brokerage offering commercial, personal, and employee benefits coverage through a network of partner-led regional offices. Operates with a similar multi-office, partner-driven expansion model.
• Starkweather & Shepley Insurance: Long-standing independent insurance agency headquartered in the Northeast offering commercial, personal, surety, and employee benefits coverage across multiple carrier relationships. Comparable in model, scale (regional multi-line independent agent), and geographic orientation to Harding Brooks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClqfvTT3a3Z38y1psGXIETw
• Facebookfacebook.com/hardingbrooksinsurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harding-brooks-insurance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Harding Brooks Insurance Agency