Strate Insurance Group

What Strate Insurance Group does

Strate Insurance Group is a privately held, multi-generational independent insurance agency founded in 1978 in Morristown, Tennessee, by Jack Strate, Tom Strate, and Agnes Strate. The firm sells personal, commercial, employee benefits, and financial services products to individuals, families, and small-to-mid-size businesses across East Tennessee (Morristown, Knoxville, Bristol, Johnson City, Kingsport), with named industry specialty practices in auto parts manufacturing, breweries, non-profits, and manufacturing more broadly. The agency operates as an independent intermediary, representing multiple national and regional carriers including Chubb (Cornerstone status), Travelers, CNA, and Cincinnati Insurance, and is a member of the Keystone Insurers Group alliance, which provides access to specialized expertise and national-level carrier relationships.

The business is commission-based: revenue is generated through insurance carrier commissions on placed policies and ancillary risk-management and advisory services. Go-to-market is primarily sales-led via licensed insurance advisors who perform risk assessments and shop multiple carriers on behalf of clients, with a direct-to-consumer digital layer consisting of online proposal request forms and a customer self-service portal for policy management, claims reporting, certificate requests, and bill payment. There is no proprietary technology platform or disclosed AI/ML capability; the firm's value proposition rests on advisor expertise, multi-carrier access, long-tenured client relationships (some 40+ years), and community presence in the Lakeway area. The company celebrated a January 1, 2025 merger with Main Street Insurance Group, a regional risk management and insurance advisory firm, with founder-family member Katherine Strate Smith transitioning to Partner and Owner of Main Street following her 2023 appointment as Strate's President and CEO.

Name

Strate Insurance Group

Legal name

Strate Insurance Group, Inc.

Website

https://strateinsurance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strate Insurance Group is a privately held, multi-generational independent insurance agency based in Morristown, Tennessee, providing personal, commercial, employee benefits, and financial services insurance to families, individuals, and small-to-mid-size businesses across East Tennessee through licensed advisors representing multiple national carriers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Insurance Agency

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEADAF

Captive Insurance Advisory & Management

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Insurance Brokerage & Risk Advisory

SECONDARYFSAJAGAC

Professional Liability (E&O)

Financial & Insurance/Insurance — Motor, Property & Casualty/Specialty & Excess/Surplus Lines (E&S)

SECONDARYFSAIAFAD

Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100)

Financial & Insurance/Insurance — Life & Health/Group Health Insurance (Employer-Sponsored)

Keywords

• Independent insurance agency
• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Personal insurance coverage
• Employee benefits administration
• Business risk management

Headquarters

HQ city

Morristown

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commissions: As an independent insurance agency, Strate Insurance Group earns commissions from insurance carriers for policies placed on behalf of clients. Commission rates vary by carrier, policy type, and coverage volume.
2. Consulting and Advisory Services: Risk management advisory services provided as part of the insurance consultation process, helping clients identify and analyze risks and recommend appropriate coverage solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Strate Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency that sells and brokers personal, commercial, employee benefits, and financial insurance products on behalf of multiple insurance carriers (Chubb, Travelers, CNA, Cincinnati Insurance, and others). Licensed advisors assess client risks, recommend coverage, place policies with carriers, and provide ongoing service including claims advocacy, policy reviews, and renewal management across East Tennessee.

Product overview

Strate Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive suite of insurance products organized into four core categories: Family Insurance (personal coverage for homes, vehicles, boats, and life), Business Insurance (commercial liability, property, workers compensation, and industry-specific solutions), Employee Benefits (health, dental, vision, and 401(k) programs), and Financial Services (annuities, life insurance, and long-term care). The agency also provides specialized industry coverage for auto parts manufacturing, breweries, non-profits, manufacturers, and other sectors. Services include a Customer Portal for policy management. The firm operates as part of Main Street Insurance Group following a January 2025 merger and serves clients throughout Tennessee including Morristown, Knoxville, Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Insurance Comprehensive personal insurance coverage for individuals and families including home, auto, boat, life, umbrella, renters, condo, flood, earthquake, mobile home, classic car, RV, motorcycle, pet, wedding, and travel insurance. Designed for families and individuals in East Tennessee seeking one-stop shopping for personal lines coverage from multiple carriers.
• Business Insurance Comprehensive business insurance for small to mid-size businesses covering general liability, business auto, commercial property, workers' compensation, commercial umbrella, cyber liability, EPLI, errors and omissions, directors and officers liability, crime, builders risk, liquor liability, surety bonds, and special event insurance. Designed for East Tennessee businesses seeking multi-carrier commercial coverage and risk management advisory.
• Employee Benefits Group employee benefits programs for East Tennessee employers including group health insurance, group dental insurance, group vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plans, and employee assistance plans. Designed to help employers attract and retain talent through competitive benefits offerings.
• Financial Services Financial and retirement products including individual life insurance, fixed annuities, key man life insurance, buy/sell protection funding, long-term care insurance, and mortgage protection life insurance. Designed for individuals and business owners seeking retirement, succession, and personal financial protection solutions.
• Auto Parts Manufacturing Insurance Specialized insurance solutions for auto parts manufacturers including workers compensation, loss control, risk management consultation, employee health plans, equipment breakdown, supply chain disruption coverage, and product liability. Backed by 40 years of industry expertise and capable of supporting manufacturers with international operations and Japanese insurance company requirements.
• Manufacturer Insurance Coverage for general manufacturing businesses including product liability, product recall, and supply chain protection. Designed for manufacturing operations seeking specialized coverage beyond standard commercial policies.
• Non-Profit Insurance Tailored coverage for non-profit organizations including D&O liability, general liability, EPLI, professional liability, and business income insurance. Designed to protect board members, executives, volunteers, and the organization from operational and governance liability.
• Brewery Insurance Specialized bundled coverage for breweries combining liquor liability, property, spoilage, contamination, product recall, equipment breakdown, cyber liability, environmental liability, premises liability, workers compensation, crime, and surety bonds. Designed for craft brewery and hospitality operations.
• Agriculture Insurance Farm insurance combining home, property, and business coverage for agricultural operations and farm owners.
• Church Insurance Coverage for houses of worship including building protection, community center coverage, and clergy home protection.
• Dental Practice Insurance Professional liability and business coverage for dental practices.
• Technology Firm Insurance Coverage addressing unique risks of technology companies including professional liability, cyber exposure, and operational risks.
• Restaurant Insurance Coverage for restaurants including liquor liability, food contamination, and business interruption protection.
• High Net Worth Insurance Customized insurance policies for high-asset individuals covering home, travel (via Chubb Passport 360), and unique exposures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Team grew from 2 to 20 employees over the agency's history
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Main Street Insurance GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025On January 1, 2025, Strate Insurance Group merged with Main Street Insurance Group, a regional risk management and insurance advisory firm. Two family-owned agencies combined to create a stronger organization. Katherine Smith, former President and CEO of Strate Insurance Group, became Partner and Owner of Main Street Insurance Group. The merger was celebrated with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony in February 2025.
• Keystone Insurers GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Keystone Insurers Group, a community of independent insurance agencies. Provides access to exclusive knowledge, industry insights, specialized expertise, and products. Enables connections beyond local/regional levels to national-level insurance company relationships while maintaining local service.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• USI Insurance Services: Large U.S. commercial insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant. Comparable in the mid-market commercial and benefits space, with substantially broader specialty practices and geographic reach.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm serving commercial and personal lines clients. Competes with Strate in the mid-market commercial and employee benefits space, but with national reach and significantly deeper specialty capabilities.
• Marsh McLennan: Global professional services firm and parent of Marsh, the world's largest insurance broker. Sets the competitive ceiling in the commercial insurance space and competes for the largest accounts in Strate's manufacturing and non-profit verticals.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. One of the largest U.S. insurance brokerages distributing commercial, personal, and employee benefits products across all 50 states. Directly comparable as a multi-carrier independent agency model, though operating at vastly greater scale than Strate.
• Hub International: Large North American insurance brokerage built largely through acquisitions of regional independent agencies. Highly relevant as a comparable growth-by-acquisition model targeting the same independent agency segment as Strate.
• Acrisure: Tech-enabled insurance brokerage that has grown rapidly through regional agency acquisitions. Represents both a competitor for commercial accounts and a potential acquirer of independent agencies like Strate.

Direct peers

• IMA Financial Group: U.S. insurance brokerage providing commercial, personal, and employee benefits coverage with a similar independent agency culture and mid-market focus. Highly comparable in operating model and target client profile.
• TrueNorth Companies: Mid-size independent insurance, risk management, and employee benefits firm serving businesses and individuals. Closely comparable in size, multi-line product mix, and regional independent agency positioning.
• Leavitt Group: Network of independent insurance agencies across the western U.S. that, like Strate, provides personal, commercial, and employee benefits coverage through multi-carrier arrangements. Most structurally similar peer in terms of agency-cluster model and mid-market focus.

Others

• Assurex Global: Partnership of independent insurance agencies providing members with access to national and international carrier markets. A peer in the agency-network model and a potential strategic counterweight to Strate's Keystone Insurers Group partnership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCugWO1Wg0kk9L11qPvHGFaw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/StrateInsuranceGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strate-insurance-group-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Strate Insurance Group