Running a successful insurance agency is a rewarding journey but one that comes with countless responsibilities. From handling payroll and reconciling carrier statements to producing new business and managing a team, many owners wear every hat in the agency. For one agency principal in New Jersey, this juggling act had served her well for over four decades. But at 67, she began considering whether a strategic partnership could offer a better path forward.
This is the story of how she discovered Equity Expansion and how a potential partnership could unlock continued growth while preserving everything she worked so hard to build.
Based in New Jersey, this agency was founded in 1983 and built from the ground up by a tenacious female entrepreneur. Today, the agency generates about $3 million in written premium annually, with approximately $400,000 in revenue. The book is 70% commercial and 30% personal lines, with strengths in:
The agency operates through Iron Peak (formerly Iroquois), with top carriers including Progressive, Travelers, Hartford, and AmTrust. A portion of the business roughly $700,000 in premium is tied to the aggregator, but not in a way that restricts future partnership.
The discovery call with Equity Expansion brought forward a new perspective, one centered on strategic partnership, not just acquisition.
Equity Expansion’s partnership model aims to remove low-value tasks from agency owners’ plates, enabling them to focus on high-value activities like production and client service. This means:
“This is a team. A partnership is a team. The relationship doesn’t end when the deal closes, it begins.”
Equity Expansion presented a hypothetical structure based on her current financials:
The equity piece stood out: that $200,000 rollover could be 3–4x in value within 3–5 years, potentially paying her another $600,000–800,000 in addition to the upfront payment.
“The equity opportunity is a chance to get paid twice for your agency. That’s the differentiator.”
A Partnership, Not a Takeover
One of the owner’s biggest concerns was cultural alignment. Would a buyer maintain her values? Respect her team? Keep the agency’s location?
Equity Expansion’s approach centers on identifying culturally compatible partners:
“It’s about minimizing disruption within your agency. The staff stays, the culture stays you just gain more support.”
The Outcome: Exploration in Motion
What This Means for Other Agency Owners
If you’re an agency principal generating between $500K–$2M in revenue and wondering about the next chapter, Equity Expansion may be the right guide.
Whether you’re:
Ready to Explore Your Options?
Equity Expansion offers a confidential, no-obligation discovery process to help you evaluate if a partnership is right for you.