Fort Worth-based independent insurance brokerage firm Higginbotham and Talon Insurance Agency of Port Arthur have merged, the companies said Jan. 16. Both firms provide commercial and personal insurance, risk management and employee benefit services. The merger will bring Talon Insurance Agency’s expertise in contractor, energy and habitational risk to Higginbotham.
Talon Insurance Agency has a 35-person staff at offices in Port Arthur, Tyler and Fort Worth. Higginbotham, founded in 1948, is one of the largest brokers in the nation with 20 branch offices across the state. The combined workforce is 600. “Our union expands Higginbotham’s footprint to Port Arthur and Tyler, giving those markets a more robust insurance solution through an already established agency with a strong local presence,” said Higginbotham President/CEO Rusty Reid.
Talon Insurance Agency was formed in 2001 when insurance brokers Leonard Forey and Ted Moor III merged their agencies in Port Arthur. Located in neighboring towns, the agencies combined efforts to form one prevailing entity. They acquired an agency in Tyler in 2004 and opened a location in Fort Worth in 2013. “We’ve survived a fire and two hurricanes that have shown us firsthand the importance of proactive disaster planning,” said Forey. “So we focus on developing disaster recovery plans for our clients that help them bounce back with minimal interruption to their business.” Forey and Moor will serve as managing directors of Talon Insurance Agency in Port Arthur with Scott Kirkpatrick in Tyler and continue operating with its present name and locations.
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