Headquartered in Natick, Eastern Insurance is the largest agency in Mass.
Eastern Insurance announced today that is has acquired the assets of the Chase and Lunt Insurance Agency, LLC. Based in Newburyport, Chase & Lunt has operated as a locally owned and operated independent insurance agency since 1879.
“We are excited to welcome the Chase and Lunt Insurance Agency employees and customers to the Eastern Insurance family,” said Hope A. Aldrich, President and CEO of Eastern Insurance. “The deal, which combines two independent insurance agencies with an unwavering commitment to their customers, colleagues and communities, will provide the customers of Chase and Lunt with access to a broad range of insurance choices, services and capabilities,” added Ms. Aldrich.
The addition of Chase & Lunt Agency marks the 38th acquisition for the Commonwealth’s largest insurance agency.
According to the terms of the transaction, all 28 employees of Chase and Lunt, including the agency’s president James (Jay) J. Howlett III, will join Eastern Insurance. Chase & Lunt’s Newburyport offices will rebrand over the coming six to 12 months as Eastern Insurance continues its plans to expand into the North Shore and New Hampshire.
A local independent agency for over 100 years
For 138 years, the Chase and Lunt has been a highly regarded independent agency in Newburyport. The agency, which has seen seven different generations of leadership, has received numerous accolades over the years from both within and outside of the insurance industry for its outstanding service to its customers.
In addition to being a MAIA Five Star Agency (2009-2016), it has also been an Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America’s Best Practices Agency (2013-2016). In 2015, it was chosen as the American Training Vendor of the Year. Closer to home, the agency was recognized by the Newburyport Daily News as Best Insurance Agency for seven years (2007-2016). The newspaper also selected it as the Best Business for Customer Service (2011-2016) among all businesses.
“We are proud of what we have built in providing the best property and casualty insurance programs for the people and businesses of Newburyport and the North Shore of Massachusetts,” said Jay Howlett, who joined Eastern as the Executive Vice President and Regional Director of the North Shore and Southern New Hampshire. “Similar to the philosophy of Chase and Lunt, Eastern has a deep commitment to clients, employees and the community. This will serve all constituents well as we expand our services and product offerings to our clientele.”
About the Eastern Insurance Group
A subsidiary of Eastern Bank, Eastern Insurance Group is currently the largest independent insurance agency in Massachusetts. Nationally, it ranks as the 34th largest property and casualty agency. Under the direction of its president for the past 19 years, Hope Aldrich, Eastern Insurance has seen tremendous growth to the point where it now serves over 70,000 individuals and businesses via its full range of insurance products and services, including, but not limited to, personal and commercial insurance products, surety, and employee benefits.
