Eastern Insurance’s latest acquisition gives it 10 locations south of Boston
Eastern Insurance has acquired The Five Star Agency, Smith Buckley & Hunt. With the latest acquisition of this well-known Brockton-based independent insurance agency, Eastern Insurance now boasts an impressive 10 locations south of Boston and 24 locations overall throughout New England.
President and CEO of Eastern Insurance, Hope Aldrich, says this agency addition will provide Eastern’s customers greater access to a broader range of insurance products and services.
“We are excited to welcome Smith Buckley & Hunt and its customers to the Eastern Insurance family,” said Aldrich, President and CEO of Eastern Insurance. “Smith Buckley & Hunt has an excellent reputation for superior customer service and products, making it a perfect cultural fit to our organization.”
Founded in 1875, Smith Buckley & Hunt has been owned and operated by the Smith Family since 1922. Following the merger, two of the three principles of the agency, MacKenzie Smith, James S. Smith and Christopher Sheppard, will remain on with Eastern Insurance. James Smith, the former President of Smith Buckley & Hunt will serve as a Senior Vice President of Commercial Insurance at Eastern. Christopher Sheppard will transition into Eastern Insurance as a Senior Vice President of Sales.
“We are proud of what we have built in providing the best insurance protection for the people and businesses of Brockton and its surrounding cities and towns,” said James S. Smith, President of Smith Buckley & Hunt. “We believe that the choice of Eastern Insurance will serve our clients and employees extremely well.”
Eastern Insurance dominance south of Boston grows
The purchase of the Smith Buckley & Hunt follows the Eastern Insurance’s parent company 2012 acquisition of The Community Bank of Brockton.
“Brockton is a natural extension of the markets that we now serve, so this was an attractive opportunity to partner with a successful agency with an excellent reputation in the Metro South Region,” said Aldrich.
Since 1994, Eastern Insurance has acquired more than 34 different independent insurance agencies. As a result, it is currently the largest insurance agency headquartered in Massachusetts and the 48th largest in the country with more than 70,000 individual and business clients.
