America's Benefit Specialist November 2022

maintaining personal relationships with carriers and healthcare providers, and they are deeply committed to the guidance and success of their team of agents. Additionally, Integrity has entered into an agreement to acquire Insurance Market place Agency, an IMO based in Portland, Oregon. Dianne Faligowski, CEO of Insur ance Marketplace Agency, will become a managing partner at Integrity. Faligowski immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in 2001 to create her own path to success. She founded Insurance Marketplace Agency shortly thereafter to provide Medicare and health insurance marketplace products in the Pacific Northwest. Since 2015, Insurance Marketplace Agency has been part of a select group hand-picked by the State of Oregon to receive grants to help residents find and access health benefits. The agency has expanded across multiple states, with a reputation for helping those community members who need it most. Finally, Integrity has entered into an agreement to acquire Gott Professional In surance Services, an IMO headquartered in Sacramento, California. Johnny Gottstein, president and CEO, will become a manag ing partner in Integrity. Gottstein founded GPIS in 2007 to help federal and state employees obtain and make the most of their benefits. Since then, GPIS has become a recognized national expert in the federal employee market and has expanded to provide insurance and financial services products to municipal employees and members of the military. The company’s systematic sales process thoroughly trains agents from marketing to sales support. GALLAGHER TO ACQUIRE M&T INSURANCE AGENCY Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has signed a de finitive agreement to acquire Buffalo, New York-based M&T Insurance Agency Inc., an indirect subsidiary of M&T Bank Corpo

ration. In connection with the transaction, Gallagher will become the preferred insur ance broking partner of M&T Bank. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close this quarter. Founded in 1955 and operating under its current name since 2005, MTIA is a retail insurance agency offering an array of property and casualty products, custom ized group benefits and surety solutions to clients in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. John Rumschik, Bart Kresse, Zachary Howe and their teams will operate under the direction of Patrick Kennedy, head of Gal lagher’s Northeast region retail property/ casualty brokerage operations. CROSS INSURANCE ACQUIRES PATRIOT BENEFIT SOLUTIONS Cross Insurance has announced the acquisition of Patriot Benefit Solutions Insurance Agency based in North Andover, Massachusetts. Patriot Benefit Solutions is an employee benefits, health and welfare insurance brokerage firm that provides design, marketing and support services to employers of all sizes. The Patriot Benefit Solutions team will remain in North Andover and will operate under the name Cross Insurance with Dave Messersmith, president of Cross Insur ance-Coastal Region, serving as the regional president for Cross Insurance. Founded in 2003, Patriot Benefit Solu tions specializes in providing consulting and brokerage services for organizations of all sizes, from the unique needs of a small employer to the complex challenges of larger organizations. Since its founding in 1954, Cross Insur ance has grown extensively through the acquisition of more than 120 insurance agencies. The company now has 1,000 employees operating out of offices in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Florida.

with Medicare Advantage and Part D Plans for the year 2023 and beyond. “We are thrilled to welcome Roque Solis and his talented group of engineers to NationsBenefits,” said Glenn M. Parker, M.D., Founder and CEO at NationsBenefits. “Joining forces and expanding our technol ogy infrastructure enhances our flex benefit card offering with a national retail network.” The company’s flex benefit card solution, which will fall under the brand of Nations Flex, enables health plans to provide their members with a convenient way to pay for eligible items and approved services. Members receive a personalized debit card that gives them quick and easy access to funds that are loaded on a monthly, quarter ly or annual basis. In addition to flex card solutions, NationsBenefits will continue building its healthcare payments related product suite. Roque Solis will continue to lead this division as a part of NationsBenefits. INTEGRITY ANNOUNCES ACQUISITIONS Integrity Marketing Group LLC has entered into an agreement to acquire Anderson-Kent Insurance Agency, an independent market ing organization based in central Texas. As part of the acquisition, Jim Anderson, found er of Anderson-Kent, will become a partner and Boyd Kent, president of Anderson-Kent, will become a managing partner in Integrity. A mainstay of the insurance industry in Texas, Jim Anderson has been serving Americans for more than six decades. In 2012, he partnered with Boyd Kent, an industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience, to establish Anderson-Kent to help guide retirees in selecting Medi care Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans. Though their management roles have expanded significantly as the agency has grown, both Anderson and Kent remain connected to the field as high-producing agents. The leaders are dedicated to

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