Texas-based Higginbotham has expanded its reach by partnering with Glenn Harris & Associates, a firm located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Rusty Reid, chairman and CEO of Higginbotham, highlighted the shared values and cultural alignment between the two firms, noting Glenn Harris & Associates’ reputation for fostering long-standing relationships in the Oklahoma City area through a family-oriented approach to business.
Glenn S Harris, principal at Glenn Harris & Associates, echoed Reid’s sentiments, emphasizing the ease of the decision to merge due to mutual commitment to clients, community, and team culture.
“An agency our size is going to field offers,” Harris said. “When it came time to decide, it was all about the people, and their culture was a perfect match for us. So, we made a strategic decision to team up with Higginbotham as we plan long-term for our clients, our community, and our team.”
Tripp Harris, a second-generation broker at Glenn Harris & Associates, also underscored the advantages the partnership brings to their employees and clients.
“Higginbotham is an employee-owned and controlled firm with fantastic benefits. For our employees, this is going to be a great transition. For our clients, we have so many more opportunities available to us. For instance, we never had an employee benefits division before — or group medical and disability. Higginbotham has opened up whole new worlds for us to offer our community,” Harris said.
Lastly, Laurie Bly, commercial lines manager at Glenn Harris & Associates, emphasized the continuity of service and team composition post-merger.
“We’ve got great relationships with a large block of commercial clients. Now, along with their insurance policies, we can step in and handle their HR and employee benefits and other value-added services. But it’s going to be the same Glenn Harris & Associates team providing those services, with all the same faces in our office,” Bly said.
In a recent interview with Insurance Business, Reid also spoke of the firm’s infamy as a well-known acquirer, but was adamant that growth cannot be an expense and that cultural alignment will always be integral.
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