EBSCO Industries, Inc. :: News :: S.S. Nesbitt & Co., Inc. expands


	home

S.S. Nesbitt Continues to Grow with Acquisition of
Independent Insurance Agents, Inc.

S.S. Nesbitt & Co., Inc. (SSN) continued its growth in the insurance industry with the acquisition of Independent Insurance Agents, Inc. (IIA) from Paul Copper effective Aug. 1, 2008.

Based in Birmingham, Ala., IIA has sold commercial and personal insurance services for more than 30 years. “Although I did not personally know Paul Copper well prior to our merger, I have certainly known of the Copper Agency and Independent Insurance Agency for years,” said Steve Nesbitt, president and general manager of SSN.

S.S. Nesbitt has been an agent for Cincinnati Insurance for a number of years. Most of IIA’s business is also with Cincinnati, making the merger proposition even more attractive. “Cincinnati is regarded as one of the finest companies to do business with – utmost integrity, honesty and ethical practices are their standard mode of operations,” Nesbitt explained. “Paul’s father was the first representative from Cincinnati’s home office to begin an operation within Alabama. Paul and his agency, IIA, are one of the largest Cincinnati agencies in Alabama. ”

Copper found SSN equally attractive: “When I was looking for an agency to merge with I had several choices. S.S. Nesbitt proved to be the best match by far for my customers and my employees,” Copper said. “After the merger, the staff at S.S. Nesbitt and EBSCO was extremely organized and helpful in getting us moved and settled. After being here for 90 days, I found that it was not something special they did just for us, but it is the way they are every day. My staff and I have found a great home and look forward to many enjoyable years as part of the S.S. Nesbitt and EBSCO team.” Copper plus five IIA employees joined SSN and relocated to its corporate headquarters in Birmingham.

Return to main News page