Hub International acquires two Canadian insurance brokerages

Hub International Ltd. announced Wednesday it has acquired The Dorsey Group Inc. of Brantford, Ont. and Southeastern Insurance Services Ltd. of Steinbach, Man.

Chicago-based Hub International, which was formed in 1998 through the merger of 11 Canadian brokerages, provides property and casualty, life and health, employee benefits and investment and risk management products. As of January it had 300 offices with about 6,000 employees in Canada, the U.S. and Brazil.

In a July 3 press release, Hub stated its acquisition of Dorsey “will expand Hub’s footprint” by adding new offices in Brantford (about 40 kilometres west of Hamilton) as well as in Simcoe (about 80 kilometres southwest of Hamilton).

President Paula Dorsey, a daughter of the brokerage’s founders, will become vice-president of Hub Ontario, reporting to Hub Ontario personal lines president Sharlene Locke and Hub Ontario commercial lines president Greg Hill.

Dorsey Group was founded in 1957 by Walter and Gerri Dorsey. Paula Dorsey is currently the president. Her brother, vice president Gary Dorsey, “will continue to work with the business in the same consulting/ mentoring capacity as he has for the past couple of years,” a Hub International spokesperson told Canadian Underwriter.

The operations of Southeastern Insurance (based about 60 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg in Steinbach) will become part of Hub Horizon in Manitoba. 

As of July 3, the Southeastern corporate website listed Jack Rempel, son of founder Arnold Rempel, as its owner and president. However, a spokesperson for Hub International told Canadian Underwriter that Jack Rempel has retired.

The terms of the Southeastern and Dorsey acquisitions were not disclosed.

Hub International’s Canadian holdings include Totten Insurance Group and Huestis Commercial Insurance Ltd., among others.

Earlier this year, Hub International acquired, from Dale Parizeau Morris Mackenzie Inc., the group home and auto insurance book of business for members of the Actra Fraternal Benefits Society (AFBS). The AFBS insurance program is for members of the Association of Canadian Radio Artists (ACTRA) and the Writers Guild of Canada.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the fact that Jack Rempel, former president of Southeastern Insurance, has retired.