Insurance brokerages Neziol, Ottawa Valley join Intact’s BrokerLink network

Two brokerages with a combined total of six branches in Ontario – Neziol Insurance Group and Ottawa Valley Insurance – are joining Intact Financial Corp.’s BrokerLink subsidiary.

The presidents of both firms will stay on with BrokerLink, which has 98 offices supported by more than 950 employees. Neziol Insurance Group has locations in Brantford, Oakville and Ancaster (about 10 kilometres west of downtown Hamilton). Ottawa Valley Insurance has locations in Renfrew and Arnprior (about 100 and 70 km west of downtown Ottawa respectively) as well as in Rideau Ferry, about 85 km southwest of Ottawa.

The BrokerLink companies include Canada Brokerlink Inc., Canada Brokerlink (Ontario) Inc. and Macdonald Chisholm Trask Insurance, a brokerage in Atlantic Canada that joined BrokerLink earlier this year.

Neziol was founded in Brantford in 1958 by Leo and Stella Neziol in 1958. It provides auto, home, travel, life and business coverages, including boiler and machinery, property, auto, liability, contractors and student rentals. Neziol represents Aviva, Chubb, Economical, Travelers, Northbridge, Intact, Perth, Jevco, Premier Marine, South Western and Totten.

Ottawa Valley was founded in 1990. Its offerings include farm, equestrian, watercraft, home, auto and commercial (including property, auto liability and special events). Ottawa Valley represents Aviva, Intact, Echelon, Markel, Nordic, Pembridge, Grenville Mutual, Portage Mutual, Optimum, Novex, Jevco, South Western and TWIG.

Wednesday’s announcement comes four months after BrokerLink announced the acquisition of Calgary-based Anthony Clark Insurance, which operates six locations in Alberta. In 2013, BrokerLink added two Ottawa-area brokerages – Baizana Insurance Brokers and Pentagon Insurance Brokers – as well as Cornwall-based Lalonde Insurance Brokers, to its network.

The terms of the Neziol and Ottawa Valley transactions were not disclosed. BrokerLink stated that Neziol president Paul Neziol will join the firm as its branch manager in Oakville while Neziol vice-president Bernard Neziol will become BrokerLink’s branch manager in Brantford. Robin Postma, president of Ottawa Valley Insurance, will become a BrokerLink account executive in Renfrew.