WalkerHughes Insurance acquires Independent Brokers Agency

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WalkerHughes Insurance, a privately held, founder-led retail insurance brokerage business headquartered in Indianapolis, has acquired Independent Brokers Agency LLC (IBA), a St. Louis, Mo.-based insurance agency which offers personal lines, commercial lines, and employee benefits. IBA represents WalkerHughes’ first acquisition outside of Indiana.

For more than three decades, IBA has been family-owned and operated. IBA’s ownership saw an opportunity to accelerate their growth through the investment and support of WalkerHughes. IBA Principal Heather Wessels and IBA Partner Mike Swatske will continue managing the St. Louis office as valuable members of the WalkerHughes team.

“We are excited to have IBA become part of the WalkerHughes story as we continue to expand our capabilities and geographic footprint,” WalkerHughes CEO Benjamin Schoettmer said. “IBA has an excellent reputation in their local community. WalkerHughes is proud to bring them onboard and welcome Heather and Mike as key leaders in our expansion to Missouri.”

The IBA team will join the WalkerHughes family with Wessels and Swatske assuming local leadership and continued business development roles as Regional Directors, focused on supporting the agency’s continued expansion efforts in Missouri.

“We met WalkerHughes and realized nearly immediately that our values and heart for people, community and service aligned beautifully with theirs,” Wessels said. “We found in them an amazing partner with which we can enhance our client service through our combined expertise and shared culture. We are so excited for the next steps together!”

Swatske added, “Joining WalkerHughes opens a world of opportunities for clients, allowing us to provide even greater value. We are thrilled to bring WalkerHughes to Missouri and build a differentiated regional platform.”

For more information, visit WalkerHughes.com.