Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired B&W Insurance Agency, an independent agency based in Washington, Pennsylvania, as the global broker continues to build out its small-commercial and personal lines footprint in the US.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
B&W Insurance writes personal lines and commercial business for clients across southwest Pennsylvania, a region with a dense concentration of small and midsize enterprises in energy, manufacturing, healthcare and professional services.
B&W principals Paul Barzd III and Jim Cote, along with their team, will remain in place at the Washington location. The office will be supervised by Jen Tandin, head of Gallagher Select, the broker's US property and casualty operations focused on small businesses and personal insurance.
According to public records, B&W has been in business since the early 1970s, representing a range of national and regional carriers. It offers core personal lines such as auto and home alongside commercial coverages for local businesses.
For Gallagher, the acquisition adds a retail operation with an established client roster and carrier relationships in a competitive regional market. It also gives Gallagher Select additional scale in a state where small-commercial clients often still favor local advisers but increasingly expect broader market access and more sophisticated risk advice.
The B&W deal extends Gallagher’s long-running acquisition strategy in retail brokerage. The company has been one of the most active buyers in the US, picking up several agencies and specialty firms annually as it builds distribution density and niche capabilities.
Earlier this month, Gallagher acquired Agilis Partners, an investment and retirement plan based in Massachusetts. It also recently purchased Hunt Benefits & Associates, as well as Tenaglia & Associates.
With B&W now under the Gallagher Select umbrella, the global broker gains additional reach into Pennsylvania's Main Street and middle-market segment, while B&W's clients gain access to Gallagher's broader product set, resources and national carrier relationships.
