With this latest acquisition, S&S expands its footprint in Central and Western Mass.
Rhode Island’s largest independent insurance agency, Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage, Inc., has acquired the McGrath Insurance Group. The McGrath Insurance Group, with two locations in Sturbridge and Spencer, has been an independent family-owned agency in Western Mass. for 80 years. Founded in 1927 by Albert McGrath, the agency had most recently been run by the third generation of McGraths, with Albert’s grandson, Richard A. McGrath, running the agency as its president and CEO. Under Mr. McGrath’s tenure, the community-focused agency grew to 22 associates.
With the acquisition of the McGrath agency and its two offices, Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. now adds a second location to Sturbrigde, where it already has an office, and further expands the agency’s reach both in Central and Western Massachusetts.
“As one of the largest privately-held independent agencies in the U.S., we are always looking for opportunities to expand our services,” states Larry Keefe, Chairman & CEO of Starkweather & Shepley. “The firm has been in business for over 138 years and we take great pride in our reputation for providing quality insurance products and excellent customer service. We are very excited to have McGrath Insurance join the Massachusetts operation,” adds Keefe.
McGrath Agency will operate as a division of Starkweather & Shepley
According to Mr. McGrath, the decision to merge his agency with Starkweather & Shepley was to ensure the future of his agency, while providing better opportunities and services to its insureds. “The goals for McGrath’s acquisition with Starkweather & Shepley are to leverage the resources S&S has in such a way as to further improve service and insurance design for each insured as well as to further expand our collective footprint in Central and Western Massachusetts,” explains Mr. McGrath. Adding to that, he noted that, “The McGrath team believes, by aligning with Starkweather, they will be able to further develop their areas of specialization, opening many new doors to the organization. Going forward, the firm will operate as the McGrath Insurance Agency, a division of Starkweather & Shepley.”
More about Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
Starkweather & Shepley is presently the largest independent agency in Rhode Island and the 69th largest insurance brokerage firm in the United States.
Starkweather & Shepley is also one of the oldest companies in the state with over 135 years of experience of providing insurance solutions to New England residents and businesses alike.
The firm provides commercial insurance, personal insurance, health and employee benefits, surety bonding and risk management service. These services are provided nationally and internationally, through its partnership with Assurex Global.
Headquartered in East Providence, RI, Starkweather has additional branch offices in Westerly, RI; Bristol and Shelton, CT; Westwood, MA: Sturbridge MA: Martha’s Vineyard, MA; and, Fort Myers, FL.