Return to News Index
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brannon Smith,
Highland Capital 205/263-4400
HIGHLAND CAPITAL BROKERAGE GROWS WITH THE
ADDITION OF THREE TOP ADVANTAGE INSURANCE NETWORK AFFILIATES
Highland Capital Holding Corporation Continues to Build the Nation’s Premier Financial Services Distribution Company
(Birmingham, Alabama, January 9, 2002)--Highland
Capital Holding Corporation, an innovator in the distribution of financial
services, announced that its Highland Capital Brokerage wholesale division
has acquired three founding firms of the Advantage Insurance Network (AIN).
Chicago Life Partners, The Heartland Insurance Group, and Great Midwest
Brokerage are all a part of this acquisition group, and have consistently
been leading firms within AIN over the past five years.
The acquisition of these firms compliments the original
Highland Capital Brokerage acquisitions from within The R.E. Lee Group.
While terms of the transaction were not disclosed, the deal increases the
Highland Capital Holding Corporation’s presence to over 50 offices in 25
states nationwide.
“Over the past year we have built Highland Capital
Brokerage to be a significant presence in the wholesale insurance market,”
said Highland Capital Holding Corporation Chairman and CEO John L. Robinson,
Jr. “With the addition of these key groups, we are expanding our strength in
the Midwest and escalating the talent and resources Highland Capital
Brokerage offers to upscale individual brokers and institutional accounts.”
“We are excited about this incredible opportunity to
join Highland Capital Brokerage and share in the vision of establishing a
truly integrated full-service brokerage company,” said Gary L. Wright of
Chicago Life Partners. “Over the past year, we have been impressed with the
distribution presence Highland Capital Brokerage has established. We are
thrilled to be a part of such an innovative group, and we look forward to
further building the brokerage distribution arm of the company.”
Principals within the firms include John T. Mulheran
and Paul M. Harrington of The Heartland Insurance Group, Marty Dooley of
Great Midwest Brokerage, and Gary L. Wright and Thomas J. Vilardo of Chicago
Life Partners. These individuals have made a significant impact in the
industry with over 75 years of combined experience in the wholesale
insurance business.
Birmingham-based Highland Capital Holding
Corporation was formed to acquire, equip, and grow the premier national
network of firms who provide financial products and services to the
corporate and affluent marketplace. Highland Capital’s two complementary
distribution strategies – retail and wholesale - come together under a
shared mission to build the premier independent
financial services distribution company. The firms acquired by
Highland Capital distribute financial services products directly to retail
consumers and indirectly through institutional accounts and unaffiliated
financial services firms. Highland Capital’s retail offices offer asset
management, business succession planning, estate planning, executive
compensation, employee benefits, and retirement planning for the corporate
and affluent marketplace. Highland Capital
Brokerage provides access to major insurance carriers, advanced planning
support, expertise in risk underwriting, and back office processing to
insurance brokers, financial planners, attorneys, and various institutions
such as banks, wirehouses, and CPA firms. The group has differentiated
itself among multi-carrier brokerage agencies through an emphasis on
providing value-added marketing and point-of-sale support for its
clientele.
To learn more about Highland Capital Holding
Corporation and Highland Capital Brokerage, visit
www.highland.com and
www.highlandbrokerage.com.
###
Return to News Index
