A subsidiary of Brown & Brown has completed the acquisition of Shoemaker & Besser Associates, Inc., a managing general agent (MGA) and wholesale insurance brokerage based in York, Pennsylvania.
The transaction was facilitated through Bridge Specialty Group, a Brown & Brown company. The deal brings Shoemaker & Besser's specialty personal insurance and niche business owner's policy products under the Bridge Specialty Group umbrella.
Shoemaker & Besser was founded in 1959 and operates as a full-service MGA. The firm provides independent insurance agents with automation tools and access to a range of specialty insurance products.
The Shoemaker & Besser team will remain in York, Pennsylvania, following the acquisition. Operations will report to Jason Haupt, regional president of Bridge Specialty Group's Mid-Atlantic and Delta region.
Bridge Specialty Group president Anurag Batta said the firm's specialized offerings will add value to retail brokers and enhance the company's Contract Binding and Light Brokerage business.
Jack Brubaker and Allan Boyd, owners of Shoemaker & Besser, said the combination with Bridge Specialty Group would allow the firm to offer expanded market access to customers while maintaining its service approach.
"With this transaction, our agents will enjoy a very broad market reach both in personal and commercial lines to help them address their customers' needs," Brubaker and Boyd said.
The Shoemaker & Besser acquisition is part of Brown & Brown's broader dealmaking activity. The company reported record Q3 2025 revenues of $1.6 billion, up $420 million or 35.4% from the prior-year period.
In December, Brown & Brown also acquired Florida-based Campbell Agency, a workers' compensation specialist, through an asset deal announced by the same chief acquisitions officer, J. Scott Penny. That transaction expanded Brown & Brown's workers' compensation capabilities across north and central Florida.
